UpturnTale: The Art of Resetting
by TairaCrow
Summary: Sans has been fighting a possessed Frisk eight times now. He had finally grown sick of it all. So what happens if he goes back to the earliest point in the game? Can he save anyone or will anything even change? (Do not own the game or anything. Its a fanfiction after all.)
1. Prologue: How to Save a Kid

Standing in the last hall before the end, I twirled a bone in my finger debating my options. This couldn't be it could it, I thought. Blood and death for me or a dear friend. This can't be Frisk though. I remember when she made friends with everyone and even did all those get togethers. What was going on now? This couldn't be Frisk. So maybe I could stop this… Maybe because if I can't, this is going to be a bad time.

About that time, what could be Frisk walked in with bloody knife at hand. My gaze was simply disappointed as I stared at the kid, "That looks like the expression of someone whose died 8 times…" That's when I finally stopped. I saw the red in her eyes and sighed. Frisk didn't kill Papyrus or my friends. It was this entity. I'll save Frisk damn it. I will, I thought as my eye glowed blue. My voice was cold, "Whoever you are, you aren't Frisk. How about we see if this mess is salvageable…"

"You mean mercy?" she said with a cruel tinge to her voice, "Not a chance…"

I could only laugh at that reaction as I focused the power I had, "Alright… I'll have to try my other method. See if you can stop me from doing this." In seconds, I had focused on moving back to my garage. A good slash flew past me as I saw my garage in Snowdin. I quickly turned on the machine trying to set it just a little before the kid told me she fell in the other timeline.

With a whir of machine parts the machine cooked up enough to send me back as it smoked. I walked outside. I took a few slow steps forward and remembered what I knew before. I remembered the kid telling me she fell in a patch of flowers before Toriel's house.

So for once in my life, I stopped being lazy, if only for this single moment. Running for the ruins, I booked it past Papyrus and everyone. Of course, Papyrus would follow me having never seen me in a hurry. I had to ignore that though. If I remember the kid said someone tried to talk to her in the ruins before and she was scared of them. It could be my last chance to stop this mess going on in the other timeline. So I'm going to have to not worry about Papyrus right now.

Look at me, for once in my long life, I'm running to save this kid from something else. Maybe I am going soft for this kid. I will say this though, I'm not letting this kid fall again. I'm not going to see this kid crumble to that thing again. I remember the tears she shed, especially when I saw her wield the knife before me.

I heard Papyrus call my name but I couldn't say a thing. I was trying to get where I needed to be. Remembering everything Frisk told me was essential here. She said she was held here by Toriel at first. So I knocked lightly, "Knock Knock?"

"Who's there?" I heard the same light-hearted motherly tone.

"Someone who needs help quickly… I need to go through here to save someone," my voice shook as I knew time was growing closer to the fall.

Toriel could be heard debating her options until she opened the door, "Help who? No one is out here but me."

"No a kid is about to fall… I can't explain but I need to save that kid from-" I spoke up with a tone of urgency as Toriel stopped me with a soft smile.

She held an arm out as the door was left open, "Go… If you are willing to help this child than do it. Thank you for looking out for them. Glad to know I'm not the only one."

I nodded and bolted through the hallways and up the stairs. I was getting tired as I knew that this was new to run this much. So I bolted through her empty front door area and kept at that run until I saw the flower patch. Sliding to a stop I saw the kid fall into the flower patch with no wounds, "Dang kiddo… Tough one aren't y- Who are you?"

A ghost like figure stood nearby and saw me. It glared as I put a bone wall between Frisk and this thing. It tried breaking it but I sent a wave of bones at the ghost. It fell as I sighed relief and sunk back on the ground half out of breath from running here. I finally let go of my fear of getting here late and looked up at the hole above, "One tough kid…"

"Who are you?" Frisk had sat up looking around until her eyes found me confused.

Looking to Frisk as I stood up, I just smiled with a grin, "Names Sans, kid. It's nice to meet you again kid… Let's get out of this bonely place and get you somewhere nice okay?"

Frisk gave a small laugh to the joke and just nodded. She ran over to take my hand, "Alright, Sans. Where are we going?"

"A place where you can make friends. This place is filled with them. You just have to- What the… Kid get behind me!" I saw what couldn't have been Gaster as he aimed a malformed laser at Frisk. I pulled the kid behind me as I summoned my own dragon bone to blast a similar laser to block it. I heard Gaster sign out for me to run from the kid and this wasn't over. Then Gaster faded.

Frisk shook behind me holding my hand tightly. I turned to smile at her, "Hey… It's okay! I'm here to help you. I ran all the way here to help you after all. So let's work hard to make friends okay?"

Frisk just stared at me and hugged me, "As long as that thing doesn't come back…. You won't let it get me right?" Frisk was scared and understandably so. I just nodded and hugged her back with a softer grin thinking, 'Kid I won't let you fall to anyone, even something like that weird ghost thingy. Promise.' I still had a gnawing feeling Gaster wasn't done yet.

Toriel found us with a sigh of relief on her lips. She spoke softly, "Oh your both okay… I heard an explosion and the house shook…" She saw Frisk hiding behind me peeking her head out as Toriel smiled, "Its okay Child… My name is Toriel. I won't hurt you."

When I gave the kid a smile and a nudge, Frisk moved towards Toriel and hugged her suddenly. I was surprised with half a mind to levitate her away from Toriel, remembering the nightmares. Toriel just hugged back with a smile. I gave a chuckle of relief, "Told you I was protecting the kid. She's safe…"

Frisk smiled wide, making me almost note it being adorable, as she spoke happy, "He saved me from a mean man in black! Sans is awesome! He even stopped the other ghost! He's the best!"

Toriel gave a smile and looked up to me. Her smile was gentle as she looked a bit more stern afterwards, "Where do you intend to take her now?" She was serious now, something my nightmares made me remember all too well. So what do I say to that scary look?

"Town… Snowdin. Making friends so that she doe- So that she can become the light the underground desperately needs. Maybe even the light I need to finish to stop me from myself," I smiled as I looked to Toriel as I got a better idea, "You should come… The queen shouldn't be hiding anymore. Besides, I don't know much about taking care of a kid. And it's not much like a dog."

Frisk ran back to me and tugged my arm with a pout, "The name is Frisk! Not kid… Get it right, Sans!" Her pout became a smile as she took my hand, "Lets go! I wanna meet others like you. If they're nice like you, I wanna meet them. I want to make more friends like you and Toriel!" She was practically pulling me as she made me smile.

This was her, before the massacre made her a monster. The kid she could have been if she was given the chance. And now she is. It made me smile. I saw her run to Toriel and hug her once more. Her cries were trying to coax Toriel as well, "Let's go! We can go together. I don't want you to be here alone. Please!" I saw the plan Frisk had concocted with a grin. She was trying to get her to go with us, trying to help me to get her to go. Kid was smarter than I gave her credit for.

Toriel held Frisk as she stood up. Toriel used her free arm to mess up Frisk's hair. She smiled to her then to me, "I guess so. I've hidden long enough. If she has us both, we can make sure she can make all those new friends. Frisk let's- Sans watch out!" She threw a fireball past my skull as it hit something behind me.

With a quick turn, I saw him again. Gaster was here… Actually here somehow. I had to be imagining it all. So I found myself staring down a ghostly Gaster with fire licking at his black coat. He smiled to me, signing me to leave again. I shook my head no, "Toriel get behind me. I can fig- Ah!" A blaster took me off guard from the left as it used it's large jaw to pin me to the ground. It simply held me to the ground as Gaster signed again, 'I told you to leave'.

The blaster held me down as I tried to fight it's grip. I moved a hand up as something stepped on it. A black dress shoe. A shoe that led to black dress pants as far as I could see. It was him, I thought. The even yet studied tone made me shiver from the memories it brought up, "You should have run. I followed you through your jump back in time. It was very kind of you to open the door… I finally found out how to form here as well. Now, time to get that child before they become the murderer they became before…"

Awe filled my mind until I saw him stepping on my left hand. With a cry of pain, I felt the break. Break was the wrong word, I thought, as shatter came to mind . Somewhere in the middle of my cry of pain, Frisk cried out my name. His foot moved off my hand as he was moving toward Toriel now. The kid was in danger from him now… How did I save her by changing things?


	2. Chapter 1: Everything is Okay now right?

I turned my head to watch Toriel throw multiple fireballs as Gaster deflected each of them with a blaster's head. He used the second he summoned to shoot at her. The large blast tossed Toriel back several feet as Frisk was thrown from her arms to the ground beside her. Using my unbroken hand, I summoned a blaster with a strained effort. The blaster blew up Gaster's own that was holding me to the ground. I rolled on my stomach. I pushed up with my right arm to stand. With a constrained effort, I held my ground as I put a bone wall in between him and Frisk. Not again, I thought, never again.

The same ghost from before appeared beside me. She was a duplicate of Frisk except the shirt was green with yellow stripes. The red eyes glowed eerily as she set her hand on mine. The bone wall had knives laced through it. This ghost was helping me protect Frisk. So be it. I summoned blasters around Gaster as sweat poured off my head. Once again, the knives appeared around them ready to be thrown. I couldn't believe my eyes. The ghost that made her evil is trying to save her with me.

When the blast went off with knives flying, I heard a grunt as my mind focused on Frisk now. I levitated her up and out of the way of the attack. With more sweat pouring off my head, I levitated her to my side as I felt her hug me tighter than before. With a small smile, I looked to where the ghost was but it was gone. I guess it used up a lot of energy or it was just shy. That was when I remembered Gaster couldn't be taken down so easily. I pulled Frisk behind me as she held onto my sweatshirt. She was scared and I couldn't get her out of here.

Wait! He didn't hurt me. He couldn't. He can't. So let's use this. I picked up Frisk in my arms, "Frisk… Just trust me. I have a plan." I put my coat around her with a smile as I looked at Gaster, "If you want her, you'll have to kill me first. But you won't do that will you, G? Now why would that be? You still care? That can't be. Or am I important to your work somehow? That has to be it. Just rattling my skull for an answer, ya know." The plan to hold Frisk on my back with my coat over her was not as I thought it would be.

Gaster's green shield shown through the smoke. He dissipated it as I saw the blaster ready to fire. He wouldn't fire, I thought, would he? Instead, he surprised me by dismissing it. With a wave of his hand, he turned towards us with a small grin on his face. It made him almost seem like a creep. His voice was surprisingly clear, like the accident never happened, "Sans… She kills you. You saw that. No mercy or care. I'm thoroughly hoping yo- No, you wouldn't know that. How many times did she die to you when you fought her?"

Frisk was far too scared to ask but I knew she had questions. I looked to Frisk and then remembered. I think… Yeah, I thought, it had to be. I looked back at Gaster, "Eight until I used the machine with a small modification to get back here. What's the purpose in asking that anyways? It's the same kid I saw in that room… But she doesn't have those red eyes."

The gaze that Gaster gave me then turned from some form of grin to something darker. It was like he realized something that I didn't seem to understand yet. He spoke carefully as he looked to me, "You aren't.. No, that machine was calibrated for back… You made the calibration to come back instead of opening the void. So when it brought you back here, you were- You idiot. You went back before any of the earlier timelines before her genocide run. You meant to reverse the decision entirely…"

"Gaster, I came back the time the kid told me she remembered falling the first time. She told me in a restaurant. I knew if I came back here… Then… I could save her before all this happened," I said as I set Frisk down as she clung to my good right arm. With a small smile, I gave Gaster a determined glare, "I was helping a friend. And I helped you. You're here now. And that ghost thing is friendly. So see, all is well that ends well." Frisk had shown me hope that I was glad to have. I was able to feel like moving forward again. Like it was an option.

He gave me a cold look then shook his head. There was a level of disappointment that I couldn't fathom from him. I got him out, I thought, he should be proud. I even saved Frisk. Instead, Gaster looked at me as he approached slowly. He knelt in front of me and set a hand on my shoulder. The tone he had was almost worried, "Sans… If all these evils are good now and she is fine… What will happen now? A threat will replace all of this. Only time can tell. Sure, she may be able to get a good start but what of the timeline? Something has to jeopardize it. Something always has. This new threat could be worse than before or harder to defeat. You may have done more harm than good."

The words he spoke made me realize how right he was. I had messed up. With a glance to Frisk, she had taken to hiding around behind me. What had I done? Did I just jeopardize her more by doing this? Am I really saving her? All of this made me feel like I put her in more danger than I am helping her. He has to be wrong though. I know it, I thought, he has to be wrong. She'll be safe and nothing will happen. He's just a paranoid old skeleton who just got out of a void. That's it, I thought. Then out loud, "You just got out of the void. Your just experiencing disorientation. None of this stuff your saying is-"

"Sans!... I'm not sick. And you know I'm right. We all may be fine and safe. Now! Somewhere though, someone or thing has twisted to become a bigger threat. This could doom us more so than the genocide before," Gaster said as he took his hand off my shoulder. He held the pieces of my broken right hand to heal them back in place as he reattached the hand. He gave me a solemn glance, "We must prepare for the changes to come. For now, she must make friends and be watched constantly. We must avoid the catastrophes of the…. Future that no longer exists…. I'll stay to help."

Something about Gaster admitting to help just seems off. He wanted to help me protect and watch over Frisk, which made me feel better and yet worried. I think Frisk will be with Papyrus and I for now. It's safer that way, I think. Still, he wants to look for an imaginary threat then let him. I have the kid and she's safe. There's hope for them all. Maybe even hope for the flower. I smiled as I nudged Frisk out from behind me, "Frisk… This is Gaster. He's a friend here to help. He needs our help too though okay?"

Frisk nodded and poked her head out cautiously. She was still scared, although she held a hand out to shake his own. Gaster smiled a bit as she laughed. Frisk seemed to have a realization as I saw light go off in her head. She bolted off towards where Toriel was. I forgot she was hurt. Frisk had run over to her as I peeked over Gaster. I saw Frisk hug Toriel who seemed okay. Toriel glared at Gaster but gave me quite the concerned glance. I shook my head as she simply went back to consoling Frisk.

Gaster took my attention again as he spoke quieter now, "She and that ghost may need to be put together in the same room. If we can see them both together then we can understand the ghost's purpose. I must see Asgore. You and the queen should take her to Snowdin to be watched carefully. And Sans… Thank you… I am back because of you. I may not be happy how you did it or why. I am glad though. Thank you. I will come visit you and Papyrus soon." He vanished as my mind only swirled with things to say and ask. One of them being 'don't bother visiting since he doesn't know you'.

Since he left, I moved to Toriel who had Frisk firmly in her arms. Toriel stood up with Frisk still attached in her hug, "Gaster... Is he okay? I know he got in that accident. Is he alright to leave like that even though he is a workaholic?" She said all this as casually as possible. Frisk saw the awe in my face as she turned to me now. Toriel let her down with a small, soft laugh. Frisk ran to me and hugged me tightly.

My awe must have frozen me solid until Frisk shoved my coat into my arms, "Take it back. You'll get cold. Toriel said skeletons get cold because they are all bones." She winked as I laughed. It was the heartiest laugh I have had in awhile. My own awe had faded as I smiled to her. I put my sweatshirt back on as I pat Frisk's head.

"Well Frisk, we should go. We have a town to go t- Wow!" I hadn't heard Papyrus come in but he tackled me with a hug. I barely jumped out the way, pushing Frisk aside with me. I smiled as I saw Papyrus on the floor, "Pap, you okay? You scared me out of my skull."

Papyrus got up, staring at Frisk, "Oh my god… Is that a human?! Sans, you caught a human! You were supposed to me let me catch one!" He was almost whining as he looked at me with betrayed eyes. I knew this look since he gave it to me all the time before. With a sigh, I noticed Frisk was standing instead of hiding.

Frisk smiled to Papyrus and held a hand out, "I'm not a human, I'm Frisk! It's nice to meet you, Papyrus." She was confident as she held her hand out to him with no fear. It was like she knew we were here supporting her all the way. That feeling alone made me feel more confident in this plan, though less confident in Gaster's plan. I didn't expect that level of confidence with her yet since she was scared earlier. Maybe her determination kicked in, I thought. I have to wonder if its hers or the ghost's determination though…

Papyrus was almost starstruck as he shook her hand, "Alright Frisk… It is…. It is nice... to meet you…" It seemed like Papyrus was at a total loss at how to react for now.

Frisk decided to break the ice as she looked to me. She smiled wide, "Can we go to Snowdin? You said we would." She smiled to me with this peaceful expression. I only nodded as she jumped up and down cheerfully. With a sigh, I watched Papyrus carefully. He seemed to just watch the kid carefully like he was making one of his judgement calls. That part worried me as I watched him.

Toriel had left somewhere in my gaze over Papyrus. She had come back with a small blanket Frisk used as a coat. She smiled as she gave it to the kid, "I think this should be okay as a coat. I will make you a proper coat later. Sans, will she be staying with you two in town? Is that safe? Sorry but I have concerns." Toriel now watched me as I looked to her. She had a critical eye about her, almost like she was expecting me to answer carefully or something.

"Yeah. He told me to keep her safe so that's what I'll do. Besides, you want me to help her make friends, right? Then it's a royal order, right? So then I have a job to do," I smiled to her as I put a hand on the kid's shoulder. Frisk smiled up to me as I could only smile back, "She's safe with me. Besides Gaster is protecting her with me. Nothing will happen. Not again. I promised remember?"

This all seemed to put Toriel at ease until Papyrus screamed. Frisk jumped in fear to the other side of me. Papyrus looked between Toriel and I as if we said something strange. His voice was panicked as he looked to Toriel mainly now, "Oh my gosh! You… You're the queen! I… I'm sorry. I used the wrong words. I've never addressed a queen. How do yo-"

Toriel smiled as she stood up to approach Papyrus. She held a hand out to him to help him up as her words stunned him, "I am. As for how to address me, call me Toriel. Papyrus, I have a job for you two. You have to take care of this human. That means cooking for her and being there when she needs you. Can you do that for me? It's a big responsibility…"

Papyrus nodded with a grin, "Nyehehe! Of course I can! For I am the Great Papyrus. I will cook for the hu- Frisk. She can even help me cook if she wants. I will help protect her as well. If it is a royal order, then I will follow it to the letter. You have my word!" Papyrus was way to amped up for this, though the change in heart was a good sign. I won't have to worry about Papyrus. Maybe Undyne but not him.

Well, I thought, this is a better start to the story then before. With a tug on Frisk's hand, "Frisk, let's go. Come on, Pap. We have a town to get to and I think I know a dog that would make quick friends with Frisk. Besides that, I think the kid has to try some of your world famous spaghetti. Since your one of the best cooks out there, ya know?"

Papyrus perked up immediately. He charged ahead with that 'I have a mission' look that always worried me. This time I was just smiling as I saw it. He really was going to help. It couldn't be all bad. To spare Frisk the snow, I picked her up on my back. Toriel adjusted the blanket to cover her as I smiled, "Come by sometime. We'll all be there. I know your going to the castle so can you smooth things over with Undyne about Frisk? I don't want her attacking Frisk."

Toriel nodded as she left ahead of us. She was going to help, I know it. First, get the kid home. Second is to get her some of Pap's spaghetti. Lastly, I will have to watch for Gaster. He can't come home So I guess I'm not sleeping tonig- Wow… Why am I so dizzy? I fell forward into the snow outside of Toriel's door. I felt Frisk roll off my back as I heard Pap yelling. Things were beginning to blur. Next thing I know, I was out like a light. Nothing but black…


	3. Ch 2: The Kid,the Dog and the Scientist

_Surreal as it may be, I woke up to the Judgement Hall. I saw the dust trail lead up to the eight corpses of Frisk that the light shined upon. The blood of the defeated had stained my clothes red as I stared at the ninth one standing in front of me with a knife. She was crying as she dropped the knife. I stood there, arms outstretched to hug her tightly, reassuring her that everything was okay now. This kid… This dream… It had happened before. And like before, I summoned a bone to pierce her back. I watched her fall as tears fell from my eyes. Her blood moved towards me like it was a living puddle. It covered me entirely as everything went black again. What the hell is wrong with me?_

I woke with a jolt as I shot out of bed, scaring Papyrus half to death. Pap dropped his tray of Spaghetti as he fell. It landed square on him, showering him perfectly with spaghetti and sauce. I stifled a laugh as I couldn't hold myself back, "Wow, Pap. I didn't know you were falling for me." I grinned waiting for the inevitable.

"Sans! I can't take your jokes anymore!" Papyrus fumed as he huffed. He looked to me concerned and then began cleaning up the mess. He sighed as he put all the fallen tableware back on the tray with the fallen food. He smiled sadly, nonetheless still bothered, "I will make another bowl. If you're awake, you should come down to eat with Frisk and I. Dad's here, too… And Sans?"

Papyrus was really bothered by something, I thought. I saw his reactions to now. Each time he looked at me, it was like he was sad about something. Sad might not be the right word but it's what I think I see. I just listened to him after I nodded in reply. I couldn't form words. I knew he carried me here, though not how long I was out.

Papyrus seemed apprehensive now as he looked to me, "Brother… How did you know? And why were you running to the Ruins? How do you know all these things and where to be? It's like you are hiding things from me again brother. I don't like it. Just talk to me, please. You passed out on the way back here. Dad said that your body was exhausted past the point it could sustain itself. I healed you for now but Sans… But Dad I know you won't answer those questions so answer this one. Only one. How did you know where and when the human would fall?"

He had a way of asking the hard questions when he got really worried. Part of me thought it might be time to speak to him about this. As for the rest of me, well that part believed it was a horrible idea. He'd just worry like Gaster does. I don't need his worries infecting Papyrus. I looked to Papyrus as I smiled, "Papyrus… Dad got back. He… He sent me towards the ruins in a rush. It's hard to explain, but he saved her life. We both did… Wait you left him alone with her?!" Panic struck me as his previous words finally caught on.

Using my magic, I levitated myself to make myself faster. I bolted out the door. Sliding down the hall, I found myself bolting down the stairs. With one last burst of magic, I slid to a stop in front of the kitchen. I saw Gaster had a hand on Frisk's shoulder. My immediate reaction was to summon a weapon as the bone appeared by me. Shortly after, it vanished as I began to sink to the ground. The same dizziness from before except this time it made me feel weak. My magic wasn't responding for some reason.

Frisk ran over to catch me as she barely held me up. She called to me, trying to get me to snap out of it, "Sans! Help! He's heavy." She was struggling to hold me on my feet. That was until I was levitating in a blue field as Gaster stared at me worried. Frisk pushed me towards the couch to sit. She looked to Gaster as I hated the fact that she trusted him, "Is he okay?... Why did he get weak like that?" She was practically overflowing with worry as she looked to me.

With a soft pat on the kid's head, I smiled with a small sigh, "Kid, I'm okay. It's just being _bone_ tired is all. No need to _rattle your bones_ over something small like that." With a small chuckle, I knew the kid was silently unamused. I gave a quick glare to Gaster as he returned it with a worried glance. I saw Gaster sigh, which worried me. Something donned on me as I saw Gaster wave Papyrus in.

Gaster gave me a less worried glance as he waited for papyrus to join us in the living room. He was going to reveal something important to all of us, which only led to more concerns. He would do this in front of the kid of all things, who would have guessed. One last sigh, I watched as Gaster stood in front of all of us. He spoke bluntly, as not to hide anything right now, "You need to rest. A lot… You pushed your soul to its absolute point and almost cracked it. If you use magic one more time Sans…"

Everything he had just said, I already figured out on my own when I woke up. This type of exhaustion wasn't uncommon to my existence. I was kinda tired when I got here. With all the fighting, well that never helps. So, with a small laugh to break the dark miasma in the room, I piped up with, "So all your saying is to rest up and eat something? Sounds like a vacation to me. See, Frisk, now we can walk around help you make those friends I talked about." The laugh seemed to be misplaced as Papyrus gave me that betrayed look again. That stung just a bit.

Frisk even turned to glare at me, a hint of red in her one eye. They were both mad at me, I thought, wonderful. The most I saw of the ghost was the upper torso and head. It was crossing its arms like Frisk with the same mad expression. Frisk, though creepy, calmed down eerily quick. She sat back with her arms behind her head, slumping back a bit. The ghost kept its angered face. Something was off here, but I couldn't place it. With a sigh, I followed suit to seem casual.

Oddly enough Frisk nodded to Gaster as she seemed quite pleased with herself. What the heck is this? Everybody gang up on Sans day? After watching Gaster nod back, he seemed to come to a resolution. He looked to me with a stern face. It was the 'you will do as I say or else' dad look. His voice even sounded ordering, "Sans. No jokes. You will be watched by Frisk during the day and Papyrus in the morning before you go on patrol. If Frisk is needed somewhere, Sans you either go with or she drops you off with me. No magic use. That means your **walking** everywhere for a couple of days while your soul recovers. This is how we will keep an eye on you as best we can."

With a long sigh, I shook my head yes. I thought on my bones, raising a finger, "Fine… But! I still have other jobs. That's fine and all but I still have to work. Besides you are all just over reacting. I'm a little tired is all. So I'll be fine after I sleep some today. I think you guys are letting this go too far or get to you too much."  
I knew Papyrus would buy it. Frisk, maybe. Gaster was a whole other story. He knew, though I still wondered why he was so strict about all of this. He moved to the kitchen to grab the dog that was eating spaghetti. He moved to the door after letting a floating hand grab Frisk, "Child, I need you to go outside and play a bit. This discussion is… Not for you." He set Frisk down, who nodded. She turned to chase the dog as it ran through the snow.

Great, I thought, there went my situational escape partner if this goes south. So I turned my attention to Papyrus who sat on the couch beside me now. He had that worried look spread on his skull again. I knew Gaster had to tell him everything but if he put Frisk outside… She must not have been in that conversation. This all screamed the a-typical 'get out of dodge' response if I had magic in me to do just that. So I sat there trying to consider what was going on carefully.

Breaking the silence, Gaster spoke up almost factually now, "Eight times… You never saw it through to your end… Sans, I didn't foresee you doing this. Where I was I could see all the timelines but never this one. However you did it, you saw Chara and not Frisk. You saw the demon plaguing her soul, so you came to the original save file. So how?"

Papyrus waited for me to speak clearly still slightly confused. I sighed and shook my head, "I was fighting her in the hall… She dropped her knife as she held her arms out in a hug. It was the kid I remembered. She cried in my arms as I let my rage of Pap's death consume me… I figured out that was her last fighting effort against it. She had glowing red eyes with her knife even glowing red. Something was there but not her. I still hear its voice…" I shivered at the memory.

Tears flowed out my eye sockets as I dropped my head in my hands, "Eight times… I caused her to… I couldn't take it anymore. I only did it because of what she did to Papyrus. At the restaurant before, she wasn't like that. She told me where she landed and then about the weird ghost. I thought she was kidding but now I know she wasn't… I ignored her cry for help earlier on… Then I killed her so many times…" This had been building up. The stress of these timelines finally caught up with me. Guess I was too thin skinned to hold it in.

Papyrus pulled me into a reassuring hug as he pat my back lightly. He even gave me a small smile as he held me in front of him, "Sans… I would have helped if I would have known. You know that but for some reason you left me out of the decision. We both are here now to help you. So…" Papyrus stopped to looked at Gaster as even Gaster smiled to us as Papyrus looked back to me, "I, the Great Papyrus, will make sure you are not alone in this anymore. Just promise me you will make sure you call us if you need us. We both want to see that you're okay."

With a small smile of my own, I wiped my tears away. Gaster even spoke up as he gave me the smile of a father I missed, "I'm here for you both as well. Papyrus and yourself. If I work, don't hesitate to call. I can be there in a heartbeat and you know that. So if something goes wrong, **BOTH** of you, call me if need be. I am not leaving you two ever again, promise." He winked to me as I think my soul glimmered in just a bit of hope. He was really back, I thought, my dad.

That was when the moment fell apart as we all heard Frisk yell out. From in here, I couldn't tell what was being said but I clearly heard the yell. I stood up to leave as Papyrus stopped me. Instead of telling me I can't go, he handed me my sweatshirt. He then followed Gaster to the door. With a smile, I put it on quick to get to the door to see what is going on. I don't think I actually thought this would all be as good an omen as it has been.

Getting outside, we all saw this yellow sunflower with a face being pulled from the ground by the dog. Frisk was standing beside the dog, trying desperately to get the dog to let go. Before I could respond, Papyrus put up blue bones around the dog except the head. Gaster even used his magic to make the get the dog to let go. Frisk picked up the flower as she seemed to panic. Moving ahead of the two of them, I got to Frisk. With a pat on her shoulder, "Lets get him a flower pot. He'll be just fine. He might not be happy, but I think we can get him fixed up."  
Gaster picked up on what I was saying as he seemed to dislike this from the sound of his distasteful tone, "I can get you to the lab. Doctor Alphys can help you. Outside of that, you must walk home. I have somewhere I should go now. For now, I can heal at least." When I looked at him, he looked at the flower almost mournfully, but it changed to distaste or even hate. It confused me, though I had to let it go for the sake that the flower's life was in danger. I looked to Gaster as did Frisk.

I swore Frisk was on the edge of tears as Gaster walked up to us. He went to use magic, that I assumed was healing magic, on the flower. That was until knives thrust from the ground as he moved backwards in a rush. He watched Frisk as I turned to her now. She had an angry expression on her face that seemed to be familiar as the Judgement Hall came to mind. I froze as I watched her… No, I thought. Watched them. She had the ghost beside her with a hand on the flower and the other on Frisk's arms.

Frisk spoke, though her voice was blended with her own as well as another voice. The second voice was almost demonic as it echoed together, "Don't you dare hurt, Asriel!... I won't hesitate to defend my friend." She was in control as if working with the ghost. The show of violence still worried me. Those knives coming from the snow were like the bone attacks I used in the Judgment Hall. Watching Frisk now, I was freaking out.  
Frisk watched Gaster as he watched her. A standoff had started as she seemed ready to fight but not to hurt him. I didn't like this side of Frisk. Did this mean she was already inclined to violence before? All of this was making my head hurt. I put myself in between Frisk and Gaster, "Calm down. Kid, he wasn't going to hurt the flower. He was going to he-"

"That was an orange soul. Not green. She knows the colors. Healing implies a green glow to his eyes. Not that orange glow. Flowey was trying to say Hi to us. He wasn't going to hurt me or the dog," Frisk said with her own voice as the ghost took over from there, "I know when I see a look to kill. So what do you have to say?"  
Gaster actually stopped himself for once as I watched his reaction. His expression was confused but quickly changed as I could tell he was thinking, "You're the ghost Sans spoke of… The first human. Chara, it truly has been a long time. We should sit down and chat. Maybe talk about how you and Frisk are doing this? Power isn't just shared like it was with Sans. So we'll talk later. Go to Alphys…" With a wave of his hand, we stood in front of the door to Alphys' Lab in Hot Lands with Papyrus.

Frisk sunk to her knees coughing. When I looked, she had coughed up blood. That method, it must hurt humans... Her reaction could also explain why I'm weak. So this is what Chara can do when allowed to work with someone, though it could kill them. I looked up to Papyrus, who picked her up onto his back. I held the flower for her as she seemed exhausted. Frisk looked to me from Papyrus' back upset, I believe more with herself than Gaster, "I'm sorry… I just got this feeling and she helped me. I knew he was going to destroy him so I had to act."  
"Kid, it's alright. We'll get you checked out here at Alphys with the flower and me. Don't worry. We all make a numbskull out of ourselves once or twice in our lives. Right, Pap? Or did that one go through you?" I said as I knew just how to cheer her up at this exact moment. Cheesy as it may be, this has always made the kid smile even when she asked me to stop telling jokes.

Papyrus couldn't jump scream with her on his back. So instead he fumed as smoke seemed to flow from his skull, "SSSAAANNNSSS!..." He gave up as he slumped a bit. He was smiling despite it all. I watched him walk into the lab, "Good one, brother. Let's get you three looked at." Following him in, I saw Undyne watching anime on a couch with Alphys. I froze in place. The only words that would come to mind is 'Oh no.'


	4. Chapter 3: From Fear to Concern

Still frozen in fear of what might happen, I grabbed Papyrus' arm. With a quick move, I went to pull Pap back with me. He seemed to refuse fervently at that idea of leaving as he glared down at me. With a return glare, I eyed Undyne and then Frisk. He thought about it, or I thought he did. He shrugged and pulled out my grip to walk in. He almost yelled out to them, "Alphys! We have a few patients for you to look at!"

The same phrase returned to my skull, oh no. My body was devoid of magic for the time being, which was what I really hated right now. With a look down at the slightly chewed up flower, I sighed with a stance towards the back. I let Pap distract them as I looked at Flowey, "Hey… I know your not down for the count. Not yet. If this goes sideways, I need you to protect Frisk AND Chara." I emphasized that part as I think I saw him move a bit. Whether it was yes or screw off, I don't know yet.

Moving up with Papyrus before he got too close, I saw Undyne focused on the anime intently. Alphys had come around to check on Papyrus as she seemed confused. Her voice was the same stutter as always as it seemed to betray her widening fear at seeing a human, "U…Uh… Undyne, just finish watching the fight without me. I'll be right back up. Sh… Should only be a minute… Come with me to my lab. Undyne, p…p…please finish the episode. I'll be back up." Alphys was quick to motion us downstairs while the animatic fight scene distracted Undyne.

Undyne waved a hand seemingly entranced as the strange cat-like characters fought. She seemed to be watching but I think the proper word was studying. Was she trying to get tactics about fighting from an anime? Well it is Undyne, I thought crudely. She would study Frisk if she found out she was a viable sparring partner… Second thought, she might just kill her if she found out.

With a quick pace to follow, I pushed Papyrus along. Frisk smiled down to me with a small hint of concern. I gave her a small thumbs up as we followed Alphys. The corridors became greyer than before. She stopped, opening the door to an examination room for Frisk and a second for me. I moved to the second room as I saw Frisk move into the one room on her own. I still had the flower, somewhat unconscious in my hands. I think… The room was simple enough. A metal table that looked uncomfortable as hell, a desk, and a chair to go with it. This was a doctor's office alright. The wall even had an inspirational poster of a cat hanging on a tree branch, saying Hang On!

Papyrus moved to my room as he sat down on the chair to look at me. He still had questions but if I read him right, he didn't know how to ask them. So, I answered them before he could ask. With a slow rolling start, my voice seemed to edge on fear, "Papyrus. I know what you want to ask. I think I do… Why is Dad back? What happened to make me run or exhaust myself? Why is Frisk being stalked by a ghost… I can't answer them all, but I can try."

He seemed grateful as he waited to hear more. I think he was happy I was talking. I think I was happy I was talking. With a solemn tone, I spoke what I could without hiding anything, "Papyrus… She had done a few resets up to the point she started killing everyone. I don't think it was her will, but I don't know anymore. She didn't hurt any of us in the first three resets. Then all the sudden, she changed. When I saw her in the Judgement Hall, she was crying and begging to be forgiven after I'd beaten her multiple times. Of course, this is after dying several times in our fight that she fought viciously. I don't think she knew how to stop what she started."

"It was like the friend I knew was beginning to fade away from me the day I saw her leave the ruins like that. She was devoid of that smile or care she had before. She didn't try making friends at all. Each time she killed, I just fumed. Pap, after she killed you, I lost my mind. I waited and by then it got too bad. She was too strong. I probably would have lost eventually," each word flowed from me like a weight that was lifting the more I spoke. The release of the words made me feel a lot better about this situation. The fact he sat to listen was amazing.

Papyrus smiled and took my hand in his. He was trying as he seemed to take it all in slowly. Regardless, he was trying to keep up with it all. The part that confused me was that he just smiled at me with this accepting look I never expected, "Well… I can't say I understand it all, but I can try. And I get it!... Frisk may have gotten angry over Flowey, though I think it was for purely good reason." He looked aside as if debating his next words very carefully, "Sans… Did Dad seem afraid when Frisk fought back? Like he was seeing a ghost…"

While it made me happy to see Papyrus looking at all this practically, his thought bothered me. I wasn't paying attention to Dad, but Papyrus was. That had to mean something… Something was going on that I didn't seem to get. Confusion ebbed into my voice like a river, "I… Pap, I don't know. I was paying attention to Frisk. I never thought to look at Dad. Maybe we should ask him about this after the checkup. That way we can both stay informed about all this to figure it out together." I smiled to Papyrus, glad not to be alone about this anymore. Part of me still wondered if telling all these monsters anything would help though.

Alphys knocked on the door as she came in. It had interrupted the mood that had been there. She walked in nervously, "Sa…. Sans… The human is okay. She just needed some food and water. With some rest, she will be fine. What happened to y… you?" She was careful to sidestep the flower for now. I knew that Alphys knew about it. She knew the flower from before. Another question to be answered later, I guess…. These are building into a to-do list. I hate those.

I provided a smile as I looked between her and Pap. I sighed, "I don't know Alphys… That ghost you had to have seen with the kid… She helped me, and I passed out after… But Frisk coughed up blood… Something isn't panning out and I don't like it. I was told to come here by my Dad. He wants to know if I'm okay. I think." I was speaking but my mind was with Frisk and Dad now. I was trying to conjure what I saw but Dad wasn't in my field of view. My brain was on robot. I guess I missed what she said when she snapped her fingers in front of my face.

"Sans!... S…Snap out of it," she said looking at me worried. She grabbed a scanner as she moved to scan my soul. She seemed to look worried or hesitant. My best guess with Alphys was both. As always. She put the machine aside to grab another as it scanned my soul and beeped rapidly. Alphys stopped as she made a few notes, "Y… Your Soul… Its weak and almost devoid of magic. Your barely together right now. Frisk was drained of her physical strength… This ghost w… Whatever it is drains your strength as it lets you… u…. u… use its strength… Frisk already told me what happened…." She was hiding more, and I was tired of things being hidden.

With a sudden determination, I spoke sternly to Alphys as I had the gall to do this with Undyne just around, "Alphys… What do you really know? I know you figured out a lot more than that. So why not share with the class?" I wasn't meaning to joke, even though Papyrus glared at my comment.

She jumped suddenly twiddling her thumbs nervously. One could see the gears turning in her head as she was trying to say something. With a lot of difficult, she pulled a chart out of her pocket, "Unlike you, Frisk has taken a toll. Her soul seemed weak but pumping with determination. This in mind, your soul isn't affected like hers. She… seems to mirror something akin to possession. The scanner says the soul is fine, but somehow that thing following her can take over part of the soul for itself at a time. How this is happening I don't know. Doctor Gaster will have to help me figure it out. I'd be afraid if there will be anything lef-"

A scream from Frisk could be heard in the room adjacent. Immediately, the flower rolled off the edge of the table. He vanished into the ground as I got up to follow the other two out the door. As we left the room, a crash could be heard the next moment as Undyne stood at the door to Frisk's room with a red knife in the wall behind her. Panic filled my mind as I went to raise a hand and fumed over my empty magic reserves. That's when several vines wrapped around her to hold her still. With a second thought, I did ask the flower for this exact job.

Undyne called out as the roots held on tight, "Let go, you stupid plant! Let go of me!" She pulled against the roots as three more sprouted to hold her in place. With a jolt of fear, I remembered what it said it wanted a long time ago. In the old resets, he mentioned killing everyone but giving up. I moved quickly as I pushed ahead of Papyrus, "Stop! Don't hurt Undyne! Just protect Frisk, remember?"

"Undyne gave me a glare look as she continued to fight the roots, "Are you saying you're working with this plant monster? The hell Sans! I'll break you for this!" She struggled a few more times until I saw her glare into the room at Frisk, who stood holding a knife made of a red material, "She attacked me first. I just defended myself!"

"Seeing Frisk now, I couldn't believe it. Something really wasn't right with Frisk in this reset. Although, I have to wonder if these glitches are my fault or maybe the cause of someone else. I mean if I junked my timeline all up with this reset… Shit... Was this even my timeline anymore? I couldn't focus on these thoughts. I moved up and found the flower's head and pulled at it, "Flowey enough! She's safe. Put a wall between Undyne and Frisk. Just keep an eye on Frisk for now, talk to her if it helps."

"Flowey let go of Undyne as he sunk below the floor boards. Then a wall of vines sprung up in the door way, sealing Frisk in the room. With a slightly confused thought to it all, my mind conjured up the best it could. I looked to Papyrus who stood back from the us staring the knife in the wall, "It's not the fact that the entity is taking over Frisk-"

"The ghost is taking Frisk's soul. The more she takes, the less Frisk is here. I'm sorry, Sans, but it is likely she is going to disappear. She is giving her life for Chara to live. Which makes me more intrigued about Chara's changes. Maybe…. Maybe…. Has to be…" Gaster said as he appeared behind me with a hand on my shoulder that nearly made me rattle my bones. I knew I should be used to it, but it freaked me out that I wasn't the only teleporter anymore.

"Alphys seemed to step back a bit, "D… D…. Doctor G… Gaster. I didn't know you were dropping by yet. You said you had work to do in your lab…" Alphys seemed to jump on the same line of thought he did, "Wait… So, you're saying that Frisk is giving up her soul without a fight…. For that g… ghost… Why? Why would she give up living for this thing if it's so evil?"

"Papyrus spoke up as he looked to the wall with a sad look to his face, "Saving a friend is the greatest act anyone could do. If Frisk really is fading, then that means she's trying to save this… Ghost. If it's a friend, I understand but must we lose the Frisk in the process. Why can't Alphys make-"

"Pap, it doesn't work that way. Alphys said her soul was being possessed slowly. This means that the kid is doing all of this willingly. She wants Chara to live… That's Frisk for ya. She would do anything for a friend, even give up the last fight she had to… She just cares a lot. Kid has always had a soft spot," I stopped as I spoke up without even remembering people were around me. I could see Gaster smiling out of the corner of my eye socket. He approved of something but I'm not sure what yet.

"Undyne burst into this conversation as she was still fuming with rage, "Hey! Is no one going to talk about why I was attacked? I came down to check on Alphys because she was gone so long then I get a knife thrown at me. We don't keep humans as pets or friends. We need the last soul to get out. Or have you all forgotten this? Shouldn't we be… I don't know… Killing the human?"

"Gaster had two hands levitated up to motion her to calm down, "It's better not to. If this is really going on, then we may not need the last soul to get through the barrier. She may very well be our ticket after some further testing. If, indeed, this child is handing her soul to a ghost… This could mean I could test my soul theory. I need to borrow Frisk and Flowey. Only shortly." He went to teleport as I grabbed onto his coat. With a quick rush of air, I saw us in the examining room with Frisk, or I thought it was Frisk.

"Her red eyes turned to Gaster in a glare, "Oh look, bonesy and the bad time squad… You two know about how many timelines have really gone on, right? Three have passed and yet all three of us are at the beginning. I wasn't here in the beginning… So, who wants to talk about what's going on? Or should I start with the not-so-good doctor?"

"For the first time, the flower and I shared a look of disbelief. We couldn't even speak on the matter as Gaster spoke for us, "Child, I need your consent. I have an experiment that might help your situation. I need you to trust me. Can you trust my plan to help you both?" I didn't like this, neither did the flower. Something didn't feel right about Gaster's experiment.

 _"What was kid thinking in all of this? What was Gaster's plan, too?... I know one thing for sure. Gaster and I have some words to be spoken of before either the flower or me lets him get near her. The kid isn't in the right state of mind for any of this._


	5. Chapter 4: To soul or not to soul?

The kid looked at the ground with a sudden edge of fear. Changing rapidly, I saw fear become determination. She looked up at Gaster with a crimson glare with her defiant grin to boot. The laugh that ripped from her throat was sickeningly sweet, beyond anything I've heard thus far, "You really think… You're even dumber than I thought, Gasbag. I won't give away a soul I just acquired. So, don't flatter yourself. You already experimented on kids in the past, remember? What makes you think I'm going to be your next toy to break?"

Freezing in his tracks, Gaster was fighting through his own thoughts. I could just tell from the look he was wearing that something deeply troubled him about her. Gaster recovered as he held a hand out, "If you help me, I can research how to restore your brother. If you still even ca-" Gaster stumbled back with a green shield activating as a crimson knife stuck in his shoulder with another one tinging off the shield.

The words that needed to be spoken wouldn't come out of my mouth. How am I supposed to stop this without magic? Words meant nothing to her right now, so how do I end this? _I wish Pap were here to end this… Wait a second…_ The reaction from Chara was because of his remark on Asriel. So then maybe I can get her to calm down but Flowey was far too lost to respond. The thing is that when I looked to Flowey, all I saw was his disbelief at everything going on. _Useless…._

Giving a threatening gaze with an unamused look, Chara held a knife in each hand, "Leave him out of this. We… I told you before. So back off, Gasbag. I didn't like you back then. What makes you think I like you any better now? I'm just another experiment. You aren't helping me. Only your research. Don't think you can fool me. You must have been mad when Asriel took my soul and left. You lost the red soul that day."

Gaster was staying cool but I could tell he was starting to get frustrated. He was barely holding together as he dropped his shield after removing the knife from his shoulder, "Child… Chara. You took the soul. I give you that. But your temper is causing violent outbursts that go far beyond what they should. You are losing control of yourself. If you don't get something to balance you out, someone close could be killed. Or should I refer you to when you killed Flowey previously?"

That was it. I saw Chara lift a hand to throw a knife as I moved behind her. With a weak grapple, I wrapped my arms around her shoulders to keep her from throwing a blade. I put two blasters between us facing both ways, "Chara, snap out of it. I didn't come back here to watch the timeline repeat. Just calm down before you hurt anyone else." I held on tight but Chara stopped struggling when she saw the blaster head in front of us. When she relaxed, I released grip with one arm as she stood facing the blaster in a blank state. Internally punching myself, I regretted what I was about to do. I spoke up as I summoned a bone in my hand with the little bit of magic I had regenerated. "Sorry…" I swung as she fell unconscious, barely managing to catch her in my arms as I sunk to my knees. The fading volume of my voice wasn't a good sign as I felt sleep overtake me quickly, "… Shit…"

Like that, the dark void took me into unconsciousness.

 _The thing is that in the void nothing should exist. Yet I saw miles of dust up to my shorts waist band. Something is off about this place, it wasn't right at all. As I walked through the dust, I saw Papyrus' glove came out of the dust to grab my left arm. With a quick glance down, I panicked and tried to pull him out, "Pap! Hold on! I'll get you out!" Helping him out, I realized his bones were a dust grey instead of pure white._

 _"Sans…" he stared at me hopeful as he held my hand, "Sans, please… I must ask a favor from you. It is very important you listen." I simply nodded as he moved his hands to my shoulders in an effort to show me he is being serious. This was unlike him completely. Then he spoke, his tone grim, "Get revenge for us… Kill the stain upon this world. Destroy the human child… Revenge… For everyone… Since you survived, you must get revenge for us."  
What I saw, I absolutely couldn't believe. The dust from Pap's hand flowed from his hands into my skull. It was like a haze that was coming over me as I went from struggling from his grasp to still. "You're right, Pap… She deserves to die. The dirty brother killer…" Part of me knew this was wrong but the rest of me cried for revenge. "I have to wake up now, Pap. I have a filthy brat to kill."_

Lurching awake, I still felt the dust in my skull. With a rush of certainty, I moved from one of the spare bed rooms Gaster designed. The best part of all of this was that the dust, whatever it was, replenished my magic. Moving out of the bedroom, I swiftly walked down the bleak hallways to find Gaster in his lab with Chara on a table with a bunch of machines hooked up to her. None of them doing any harm to her, noting with conflicted thoughts on the matter.

Gaster didn't even turn his head as he spoke, "It was just as I feared. In her return, she became the monster I was afraid she would. I found out her soul was white and determination flowing through it only because of her obtaining Frisk's soul. She is fighting the acquired traits of the soul. In this case, Frisk's overwhelming kindness. She was lashing out because she was losing control of her own abilities. Amazing… I had the hypothesis but never knew… Sans come over to see the results." He waved a hand to me to come over.

Noticing the green shield around her, I gripped my fist in my pocket. I saw Gaster look at me a moment before he waved me over once more. With a note of concern, part of me was hoping Gaster would catch the violent edge to my voice, "Of course. Chara would fight that. From what I remember, she was always a brat who always had a screw loose or two. But your hypothesis, you mean that soul theory you had about where the monsters soul could be influenced by the other human soul's traits?"

"Yes. Although, I have to say I never imagined her soul to have such power. That or the fact that Frisk is still influencing her beyond her intent. Well the King and Queen already cleared this. I need to start the experiment. You must leave, Sans. There is dangerous work to be done," Gaster said thinking out loud until her turned to me. He finished his sentence as he became troubled.

Beside the glare that I held toward Chara, I couldn't see what he was troubled about. Then I saw he raised a hand towards me as the larger blaster bit down on my shoulder and chest to grapple me. Figuring out my ruse so soon wasn't a problem. Typical Gaster, perceptive as usual. I'll just have to make this quick. With a feeling of overconfidence, I broke the blaster with a punch, "Sorry, G. I'm not so weak anymore. Let's just say I found an ally to help me write the previous timeline's wrongs." I bolted for the table and the barrier as Gaster. Using myself as a distraction to get a good clip shot, I summoned a blaster behind me to blast him back into the wall.

With a second hand appearing near me, I saw the orange blasts surge towards me. The blaster head I summoned stopped the blast from hitting me as I raised a fist to the shield. With Papyrus' rage fueling me, my fist glowed a rainbow of colors, settling on as I connected with the shield. Cracks littered the shield till it rained green glass-like shards. Grinning wildly, I found myself summoning a bone dagger in my off hand to strike down at her. Part of me was finally winning this fight as I stopped the blade just before its target above her heart. The strain in my voice fought the dust that trying to restrain me from speaking, "I won't... She… Deserves this. Revenge. Papyrus told me to do it... But still…" The knife moved closer, only stop as the knife sat just at the seam of the sweater on her chest.

Her hand grabbed my wrist as her eyes shown that crimson red. Instead of trying to kill me like part of expected, she pushed into my chest for a hug. Her eyes closed slowly as I saw Frisk start to come back, "I'm sorry… It is my fault. I started it. But I wanted to reset after my curiosity ended. Chara pushed me to finish it until you… Before you left, those were Chara's tears because she couldn't kill you. I'm sorry… I'm sorry." She held onto me tighter as I could feel her tears soak my jacket.

Every molecule told me to strike her while she was vulnerable, but I just couldn't do it. Why are you apologizing now? Why are you telling me this now? The connection to Papyrus was fading as dust emptied my skull like sand returning to the ocean like a wave pulling back to the ocean. With a small smile as I hugged her back, "I didn't know, Frisk. I came back to save you, kid. You and Chara. Its okay…"

Frisk was fading as she smiled to me, "I have to go now… Take care of her. She wasn't the killer… If it wasn't for her, I would have become friends with everyone." She sunk in my arms as I could feel Frisk's ghost ebb away. Frisk was gone, but there was still one kid who needed saving right here. Chara has been dead so long that it'll be hard to adapt. I lifted her up and set her back on the table. Then frantically, I turned to run to Gaster who lay against the silvery metal dent in the wall he must of hit. Cracked glass had nothing on the way his skull looked at the moment.

I pulled out my phone to call Papyrus in a flash. Oddly enough, no one answered. When the line went dead, Gaster made my arm as I jumped, "Wow! Gaster, you should rest. The hit shouldn't have… We gotta get you to someone who can heal you."

In a flash, he took my phone and broke it to pieces. His expression reminded of the stern, disciplinary dad I remembered. As gravelly as Grillby's smoker voice on a bad day, he raised his voice through the pain, "Don't call anyone. If they know what just happened or come down here, it might cause a panic…" Coughing with a pained look on his face for each one as he continued, "There's a white liquid with a red swirl in it. Just under my desk in the drawer."

Getting up, I sped over to his desk in a hurry. Opening drawer after drawer, I found myself digging into the bottom right drawer where a massive supply of vials were just as he described. Impossible that this could help him unless he's really found the solution to healing monsters. There had to at least be two dozen there, maybe three dozen. Grabbing one vial, I moved back to his side with haste, barely avoiding tripping over rubble from the ceiling that had hit the floor.

Gaster took the vial lightly, drinking it with constrained effort. Cracked bone stitched back together on his skull as cracks snapped back together sickeningly. He gave me a small look of worry, "You have to help her. That machine is still intact with the souls in it. When you turn it on, it'll inject the souls into Chara and should balance her temperament out. Those traits will balance her soul out, so she doesn't snap."

Hesitantly, I moved to the panel as I saw all the readings show how her soul was fracturing under the weight of its own imbalance. She must be struggling underneath the weight of her own insecurity. I stared at the machine for a long moment as if lost if this would really help. I could tell this should help based on the notes left on the machine stand. With a concerned glance to her, I heard Gaster speak up behind me, the cool tone to his voice slowly returning with faint hints of his gravelly tone, "Do it, Sans. This will help her. Save her even before her soul breaks and we lose it all."

I moved in front of Gaster with a levitation field around the button as a blaster head summoned in front of us. Telekinetically, the button pushed downwards to activate an array of lights on the panel. Closing my eyes, I left all bets to his careful research he had done before this. I could hear Gaster shuffle behind me as I heard rubble displace around us. Must be a shield, I thought. Instinctively, I still held the blaster head up to defend us from the blast as the room clattered from the blast that came from where Chara was.

Moments later, the booming noises ceased. I saw shattered green pieces of his shield on the ground around us as vines had taken its place. Glancing back to Gaster, he had passed out from exhaustion from holding the shield. I looked down as I saw the flower at my feet. Flowey looked up with a smart ass look to his grin, "You owe… Me one…. Now…" He fell on his side as he could no longer hold the vines. The vines fell away as I let the blaster fade. Now to check on the kid.

In front of me, the room was in tatters but still intact. I saw Chara, but she was glowing a various array of colors. She turned to me and held a hand up as if ready to attack me. A glow of green covered us as I turned to see Gaster heal completely, even Flowey's battered petals healed. She moved toward us with the same glow in her eyes. Kneeling by Flowey, she smiled sweetly, "Here Asriel…" She held a hand over the flower as the rainbow that flooded him from her hand blinded me.

Stumbling back, I fell into a jagged piece of ripped open metal walling. The pain of the splintering cracks developing on my skull dulled the pain of falling to the debris covered floor. Several more bones cracked upon hitting rubble as I saw a figure in the blinding light move towards me with that sweet tone, "Sans… We're sorry for this. But you deserve this." They put a hand over my soul as I felt the grip tighten with waves of pain ebbing through me. It may have even cracked. Through the excruciating agony, I couldn't tell though. In moments, I felt like I was fading away to nothing as I couldn't feel anything anymore. It all just slipped away into dust.


	6. Chapter 5: Lets all Play Dead

First off, I will say that dying was an odd experience. Monsters are dust when they die, but what was I seeing? There was a dark grey ceiling with a glimmer of metal to it, like tiles. An ocean of shadows greeted me as they encroached a heavy lead door. Without anyone around, it is hard to say what happened. I know death should be permanent, almost akin to nonexistence. Once a monster dies, its done time, Finito, End of Line, no more Simore.

As the lead door opened up, Gaster stood at the door in shock, "Sans!" He moved to my side in an instant with worrying flood of emotions on his face, "How do you feel? Weak? Dizzy?"

"Dizzy… I should be dead right? I swore she took my soul and yet I don't smell any fish," with more questions entering my mind, it became hard to voice one without humor guarding my response. _What happened? Why did I deserve that? What did she do to me?_ _Was Papyrus really okay or was that one an illusion or trick of the mind?_ I know I felt better for now. That was all. It was like waking up after an adrenaline situation and feeling clearer headed than before. How or why were beginning to fade away as if those questions didn't matter anymore. What mattered now was Chara, or at least if she still is just Chara.

Gaster gave a roll of his eyes as he chuckled to himself. He pulled up a chart and finished writing in it, "If you can still think of puns, then obviously you aren't incoherent. As for your condition, she never truly took your soul, merely safeguarded it against the dust that seemed to have come from our previous world. She used a lot of energy, so she is resting in another room. No idea where the link is that is putting that dust here, though it did target you first. Thinks hard Sans, when did it take a hold of your mind?"

That brought me back. The details were so hazy that I found it hard to bring back up. I remembered the kid trying to attack but… No, she wasn't healthy when she decided to hurt Gaster. Attempting to put hazy pieces together, I looked at the ceiling to process it all, "After I passed out from using my strength on the kid to keep her from attacking you. There was a lot of darkness and dust. It called to me as I heard Pap's voice. He told me to avenge him and the rest of them. I didn't know who I had become or why I took his deal."

Gaster looked more troubled than before as he wrote something down. In a few moments, we both heard the crash from another room. I knew for certain this was my room, which if it is then that noise came from the living room. Gaster looked at me with a stern look, "Stay in bed." He moved out the door, shutting it to make a point. Too bad that point was on deaf ears. Weak or not, I promised Frisk I would protect and save them both.

Struggling out of bed, I found the strength to keep going as I moved through the door. The crashing hadn't ceased as I looked over the banister to see Gaster trying to catch Chara who was stuck on the ceiling near me. After making a mental check list of how much magic I could use, I teleported to her and put a small blaster under my foot. Before I even could touch her side, I saw she was shaking and holding her head. Instead, I just pulled her into a hug as I felt her shaking go down as she dozed off. Easing the blaster to the floor of the living room, I found myself getting glares from Gaster, and Papyrus. Asgore merely smiled to me as if happy I was here to help Chara.

Moving to set Chara onto the couch, I tried to ignore the stares. Covering her back up, she seemed okay for now. I turned to face the three of them as curiosity and worry seemed to guide my next words, "What was that and since when can she float? Humans don't float so tell me what's going on. And do me a favor and don't lie this time, Gaster."

That hit a nerve as I saw Gaster seem to flinch. He looked to Asgore, who just nodded yes, as he sighed. Gaster started out with a small exhale of regret, "Only a monster can take a human soul, Sans. I remembered how odd Chara looked… Before all of this. So I decided to run a test on her soul. Her soul isn't human anymore. It's like that of a monster. With a little more digging, I found out why she wasn't like most. She has magic now except hers could cause issues if left unchecked. She can summon anything pertaining to the souls, that much is for sure but… Her true monster ability is to cleanse and heal. Whatever that dust is, she used that ability to not only heal you, but to shield your soul from whatever effected it in the first place."

To note, he left out the details about dust. That means he is leaving the king out of that knowledge until he knows where the leak is to be plugged. Or they weren't telling Pap. Either or. For now, Papyrus seemed to smile to me as he spoke up, "I found you three at the lab with debris all around, so I called the King to ask him to send help. I'm so glad you're okay Sans." He hugged me tight as I returned the hug. Knowing all of it now, I see what he meant. This hug should have hurt but instead I'm fine. What had she become that she could do that?

Asgore spoke up with more urgency, "I'll leave you to the search Gaster. And your sons. Please take care of her. When she can visit, have her come by." He moved out the door with a hesitant look. I knew he didn't want to leave, deep down inside he knew Gaster had a handle on this or I did. That's when Gaster turned his stare on me as I knew that look all too well. That was his _What did you do look_.

I responded with the only thing I could, "What did I do now? Lose the TV remote," Questioning was the only response, even if it included somewhat of a whine to it.

Gaster changed as he pulled me to the kitchen, "Papyrus, watch Chara." He moved us into the kitchen as he looked at me accusingly, "That is what I would like to know. How did that get her to come back down? What magic did you use?" He seemed to ask for more scientific than worried purposes. Thus, the look ended and became quizzical of my choice in action.

"She was shaking. Afraid even… It was like she was stuck in a nightmare she couldn't get out of. Pap has always been there for me when I'm stuck in that type of dream. Giving her a hug just seemed like the right thing to do," when it was said out loud, I think Gaster thought I was joking. He took a minute to comprehend that I wasn't joking. Only moments past till he realized why I might have nightmares as he seemed even deeper in thought than before. _Gee Dad, I watched you die. Why would I have nightmares?_

Pap moved into the kitchen a bit, "She's waking up!" He moved back out to the living room as I followed closely. He was right, though she was moving on her side as she seemed to have difficulty waking up. In moments, she had looked around as she sat up with the blue blanket around her, "Where… No. What happened? I remember Frisk being there and then nothing. Like there was someone else…"

"You were there, kid. It's a good thing too. Without you, we all might have died or worse," I winked as she seemed to try to ignore it. With a look to the kitchen where Gaster was no longer, I moved to sit by her, "How are you feeling now Chara? Better? Worse?" Pap gave me a smile as I smiled to Chara. She needed to feel at home or else she might do whatever she did last time.

She twiddled her thumbs as she seemed to debate something to say. With some time passing, Pap turned toward the kitchen, "I'm getting some water. Do you want some Chara?" He was opening up the conversation as I noticed Chara look up to him.

"Yes… Please…" She was much more timid than I ever imagined her. That's when Frisk's words hit home with me: "…those were Chara's tears because she couldn't kill you…". If that was true, then why did she seem so different. And remembering her tell me that Chara told her to be friends with us all really meant something. Chara really wanted her to have all of us and now it's only Chara. When Pap walked into the kitchen, I decided it was time to ask something though.

With some careful word choices, I found myself trying to understand her better, "Chara… I talked to Frisk. What did she mean by saying that you told her to be friendly with us all?" Easy question first, Sans, ease into the real ones. Watching carefully for Pap's return, I turned my gaze to her.

She stumbled for the right words as she seemed to smile a little bit, "You were all my family at one time. The legends only outlined Asriel and I, but I knew you too. Papyrus and you were very nice to us. We were all little then." Her smile grew as she remembered a bit more, "When I first met Frisk, she was confused, scared, and alone. That's why I told her that all of you were kind. That if anyone had her back, you would. I never wanted her to kill, but when she tried to give up… Part of me snapped. I was losing the ability to stop her by the time she reached you. That was the reason I cried. All the memories of you all I had, and she was wiping you away without remorse. I made the monster, and I felt worse about it… I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"

When she began to cry, I just pat her shoulder as it seemed to help. With a smile, I moved the subject, "So those tears really were yours. Thanks for trying to help me. You gave me the time I needed to go back and make this timeline. One where everyone is safe, and Frisk never did that. Its never going to happen again, I promise. Just make sure you find me if something goes wrong. We'll tackle all of it together from now on. With everyone else too. But if your afraid, just call me. I'll meet you wherever you need me. No more hiding away."

Her face seemed to change as she seemed vexed by something till she hugged me, "Thanks, Sans. I promise. You'll be my first call." I hugged her back as she seemed to fall asleep, hugging my side. With a bit of levitation, I set her on the coach with the blanket over her. It seemed in this timeline, Frisk was older. 16 or so maybe. She was a little over 5 foot tall and very thin. Her clothes were the same, though in this timeline Frisk had a knife on her. Her hair was the same with her crimson eyes. She really hadn't changed except for being a few feet taller and older. Maybe with her being older, she might be more mature than her last attempt. More powerful too.

Pap walked in with a glare as he fumed, "Sans! I was going to… Ah, never mind. Are you two okay here? I need to go to my post in case." He didn't want to leave, I could see it. He had to, though why he would guard from humans now was a mystery. Gaster and I both knew that no human should fall past this point. It was just her. Unless this timeline was different. I nodded yes to him, looking at Chara worried. Pap must have noticed as he put a hand on my shoulder and smiled, "Its okay, Sans. She's safe here with you. I know it. Just keep positive. For both of us." I nodded back to him with a smile as he left.

I sat in front of the couch, since the couch was taken as the dog jumped up to lay by her feet. With a sigh, I turned on some meaningless shows from Metaton as part of me remembered her fight him. She was flaunting and showing off, never taking a hit. Amazing really. Wonder what the Metaton here might do to a dance off with her. Interesting enough, I found myself in thought over everyone she faced. If it tore her apart to face me, yet she was comfortable with me… _What did this all mean? I had to be missing a detail or two._

A couple of hours watching, I got hungry as the roar of a lion could be heard behind me. Her stomach made me almost rattle my bones with how much it jumped me. Turning, I noticed her crimson eyes looking at the couch with a blush as I spoke up calmly, "How long were you awake?" I wasn't really paying attention truthfully, yet I knew she might have been watching. Once her stomach roared to life again, I chuckled, "How about eating first? Want to eat at Grillby's?"

She just nodded and looked outside at the snow with a shiver, "S…Sans. Can I borrow a sweatshirt? Its really cold outside." She was in shorts which is why I wasn't shocked to hear her ask that. Part of me always wondered what possessed her to dress like that. With a small laugh, I moved upstairs to my mess that I called a room. Some inkling inside of me told me that I needed to clean it eventually. In time, I figured I would, but something changed in me since I reversed time. This time I won't be lazy. I'll make every action count. Starting with finding a sweatshirt that I think I left hanging off the back of my door. Once I looked on the other side of the door, bingo. Perfectly washed where I put it last night a long time ago.

Coming downstairs, I saw Chara staring at her hands as she was simply flooding with tears. Just staring at her in silence, she clenched her fists and pulled her knees up to her chest. She mumbled something incoherent until I heard one word '… Sorry…'. That was enough for me. With some careful maneuvering, I got downstairs and put my sweatshirt over her shoulders as my tone sounded sincere, "I understand. Back then, we did things we regret. I blamed you for Pap when I didn't really know what was going on. Then Frisk and you… It hurts knowing what I did to you over time, so I promise from now on we can try to make up for everything together. Just us together. Fair?"

In moments, she realized I was holding my hand out to her as she looked up with red-lined eyes. Taking my hand slowly, her smile broke through finally with a nod yes. Her tone was filled with pain, ebbed with that determination to accept it, "Together. I want to meet everyone in person again. To hug Mom and Dad and Asriel. And to get to know you all again. Sans promise me we'll do this together no matter what. Please. To make it official." Her smile became happy as tears of joy were all I saw now. She was changing for the better.

"Together, Chara. Just us," the moment I said it, she took my hand. Seconds later, she hugged me tighter than before as I felt her really happy for once. This Chara, the one right here, was the one I wanted to keep safe. From now on, no more lazy Sans. I'll do anything to preserve that smile even if it means fighting for it. I know I should be mad, but we both did things we aren't proud of. Now its time to walk forward together instead of looking back. I smiled, "Chara, don't you worry. I'm right here no matter what. I'll be right there if you ever need me. Promise you that."

After a moment, she moved away to pull on the sweatshirt I had given her. Her smile radiated a bit as she moved to the door, "Come on, Slowpoke. I can't go to Grillby's without you." She waited at the door until she ran out into the snow after a moment of impatience. Sprinting after her, I began to cheat by using levitation to speed myself up as I caught up easily. Poor judgement since she had a snowball aimed for my head that hit me point blank in the eye socket. Tumbling back a few feet, I couldn't get my footing as I lay in the snow a moment laughing.

Chara was laughing as she moved over to hold a hand out to me, "Sans, you okay?" Full of positive laughter made this all worth it to see her have fun like this. A second or two later, I saw something white and furry tackle her into the snow. Sitting up quickly, I looked over to see Asriel hugging her tightly as she hugged him back smiling, "Asriel, I didn't want you to come yet if you were-"

"Nonsense! I wanted to see you but…" he stumbled on his words as he smiled to her finally as he released her from the hug, "I'm glad I get to see you in the flesh again. I missed you so much!" His tone was absolutely thankful with joy. In seconds, her stomach growled again as she blushed once more. Asriel chuckled, "Someone's hungry again. Time for grub." Asriel said as something came to mind for me. Asriel seemed older too. He was taller than her by half a foot, just as old too. Odd, I guess here they are older. This can't be my timeline can it?

I threw a snowball that hit Asriel in the back of the head lightly, "You can come to Grillby's with us. I'm starved too. It would be nice to know the real you too, fluffball." He was ecstatic until he saw who was talking. He glared at me after noticing Chara's shy mood. With a defensive puff-up, he nodded as he gave me what I thought was a glare. With a change in tactic, I found myself looking at the pair of them, "Come on, you two. Before Chara starves." After getting up, I began our walk towards Grillby's again. In moments, they followed. I saw the town was a bit empty for once since no one was really around. That was okay except for the fact that something was wrong. Even Grillby's was empty, and he's the only diner in town.

Standing at the window to Grillby's, I had to question what was going on. That's when I saw Grillby sitting in a booth with a drink in his hand, no idea what he was drinking though. I held a hand up, "Hey… Asriel. What's different here? Why is the town empty and why is Grillby here alone?" Something was different. I was in such a rush before, I never noticed anything. It was like I was missing something important.

"Sans, don't you remember… We had that scare in town and with all the strange events going on. A few monsters went missing, Alphys too. Muffet and even Mettatton. Everyone is at the castle where it's safer together. Only Grillby stayed. And you three. Why don't you remember?" Asriel said as if this was common knowledge. Those words froze me solid; missing monsters? What was different here and what had even Gaster failed to see from the void. He saw the events of the previous timeline unfold, but then why was this all new?

"Stay here a second," I waved to them as I moved inside to talk to Grillby. Standing by his booth, I tapped the table with what sounded like a knock, "Can I interrupt your drink? I need to ask something Grillby." I sat in front of him on the other side of the booth a I noticed it was spotless. He must have cleaned out of boredom. Without even glancing at me, he just nodded yes as if to say speak I have nothing left to do anyways. Beginning out, I found a neutral tone to hide my lack of memory of anything, "Grillby what is going on here? Why is this all happening? And why is the town really empty?"

Taking a minute to think carefully, his voice was gravelly like stone which meant he was smoking again, "What do you mean Sans? They all left after monsters went missing a month ago. Then some human falls and you are running to help them. People got scared, especially of the skeletons. They think you have something to do with the disappearances or your human does. Queen's children appearing out of nowhere as others vanish. People are a bit angry and worried. Undyne had to be kept at the castle so she wouldn't kill you. The day Alphys went missing, she blamed you. This all happened in front of you. Why are you asking? You were here."

Taking in all the information, I remembered Asgore giving a hesitant look to leave her. Maybe not leave her, leave her in Snowdin. So, I pulled out my best smile and looked at Grillby, "Come on Grills. I have two guests that are starving. Three with me included. How about we eat some grub and I'll patch this up with them. We have to visit the castle anyways. Time to figure this out for the better. No more hiding away."

Grillby actually looked up at me like he wasn't seeing me, or he was confused at who he was looking at. In seconds, he stood up with more confidence than before, "Sounds good. I'm glad to hear you aren't hiding from anything anymore." He moved to the back to start cooking as I waved them in. Asriel was hugging Chara to warm her up as she chuckled. Asriel came over to sit down in the booth as Chara sat by him. Sitting across from them, I could see the siblings truly happy for once, which really made my day. They should be happy, not all this depressing crap, though I have to bring it up.

Asriel looked to me with a smile, "No more hiding, huh? Then let's go to the castle after this. I can make sure you get to the castle too. Dad wants to see you both while Mom is… Working with the people of Snowdin." He seemed to brush over what Toriel was doing as I nodded. We both looked to Chara as she seemed to want to speak up as if her confidence was still building out of her shy shell.

"Asriel… I'm… Glad to see you but I'm not from here. Sans, Gaster, and me… We're from another timeline. Another existence… So, you may need to fill us in on a lot, but don't tell Dad or Mom yet. I'll tell them at the castle. Please, Asriel," she spoke honestly as she couldn't hide this from him. I could tell. He seemed to take her words to heart as he'd figured it out already.

He smiled with a nod, "Of course! But you are _still_ my sister. No hiding that. Gaster is already up to date… Let me begin by saying I'm sorry Sans. When monsters started going missing, we all looked to the skeletons since you were the sentries in the forest areas. Blaming you and even shunning you. You've had it hard, but you still smiled. They don't trust skeletons anymore, though with hard work that can change. Papyrus took it harder since it meant he could never be a royal guard, but I haven't seen him in town recently either. Dad says that anytime you all want to visit, go ahead. He isn't like the people and will trust you implicitly. As for Mom, she's been trying to figure out where the monsters are going missing, meaning I haven't seen her either for a while.

"I won't lie. It looks bad right now. And the evidence in the lab that Dad and I cleaned up to keep your innocence isn't good. Although we figured out that some dust-like substance is stealing monsters away. That's what really matters for details anyways. To them, Chara and I appeared from nowhere after you freaked out and ran to the ruins. Maybe with you, Chara, and I, we can fix this together as a team. The people trust me now. I know if I say you're not the cause and I help you, this could turn around."

Chara nodded with a big smile as she took our hands and set them all three together at the center of the table, "Investigation team is a go!" She was brimming with confidence and happiness. All I needed to know to go along with it. That meant she was going to help this timeline no matter what. Even if it might be my fault, really. Hopefully we can fix our mess. That was something to shoot for really. Asriel looked at me with the same smile as he nodded yes to Chara.

Shortly after, Grillby brought out food. Hot dog for me with ketchup bottles on the side for me. Chara got a burger and Asriel got a salad. We all ate quickly, ready for the journey ahead. We had some work ahead of us that I knew needed our attention. Together, we could fix this if we tried. Still… Part of me wondered what I was like before I reset into this timeline. This wasn't my timeline, so this meant that I reset into another timeline, a new one I made by my actions. What did this mean for the me in this timeline? Something inside me told me to be ready…


	7. Chapter 6: And then there was one

After eating, I decided to let them finish eating inside and talk to Grillby. I called Dad, after going outside, to get some answers. After two rings, he answered with an expectant reaction, "How much did you find out?"

 _How much did I… Not even a thought to telling me important stuff like this. You're kidding me?!_ _Calm before the storm, Sans, Calm before the storm._ With a slightly irritated tone, "Enough. I know we're hated here. They blame whomever was us before I reset into this timeline. It was our timeline before Chara took my soul though. So… tell me _Dad_ what am I missing about this timeline? How did we get here?" He knew I was irked in the worst way. Something was unspoken, and I wanted to know what he was hiding from me.

"Papyrus… I knew it wasn't our Papyrus the moment I spoke to him alone. Whatever power she used, she altered the timeline or threw us into a new one. I truthfully believe she threw us into a new timeline. As for Chara herself, she doesn't remember much of it. Snowdin has basically been abandoned and from what Papyrus told me… Sans, they will try to kill you if you come here. Be very careful. Stay in Snowdin. They blame us for the disappearances of the monsters. Right now, just don't push your limits," he sounded really worried.

With his thoughts hitting home, I heard him sigh, "When she used the power of the souls… I believe we were moved into this timeline. Bring Chara over to the lab later. You'll need to teleport here. Its not safe near the castle. Please check on your brother after you drop her off. Afterwards please stay near Snowdin for me. I'm barely tolerated because they believe I was fixing the core and working for the king in secret this whole time. Sans… Don't disobey this time. I'd rather see you safe in Snowdin."

Laughing I knocked on the window and motioned Chara out. Chara walked out as I put my phone on speaker, "Chara is here. Why don't you tell Gaster what our plan is from this point on?" Sounding smug wasn't my goal, but I also wasn't a kid anymore. It is time we act instead of lazing around till the bad ending comes to us.

"We're going to talk to Dad. Sans said he wanted me to stop by. Asriel is going to lead us there. Together we can figure this out, Gaster," she said confidently as she gave me that smile that made me glad I saved her. With all this in mind, I found myself smiling back at her. She really was changing for the better.

I think I heard a pencil snap as his tone became authoritative, "No you aren't. Leave finding the missing monsters to me and Queen Toriel. Do not teleport or even go to the castle. It isn't safe here or around them for you two. I can't explain for now. No arguments or-"

"No! Gaster, I watched from a ghost form as things fell apart where we came from. Maybe if I help Asriel and the others then we can go back to our true timeline. I can't find a save or reset function, meaning we're stuck. That means I can help. Sans too. No way we're sitting back. Sorry, Gaster," Chara went off on a tangent with her true feelings until she took my phone and hung up. With a small smile she looked at me, holding my phone, "I think we got stuck in a dead zone. How about it?"

Laughing a bit, I pulled my phone back out of her hands. _Guess this is the new her huh? Caring and determined. Glad to know the real Chara._ Moving away from my thoughts, I chuckled to her while really thinking of the situation from her perspective, "Okay then… Well he's mad. We should get a move on before he decides to come after us." I saw her move inside to get Asriel. Turning a moment, I saw Grillby come out while the two were talking inside. He smiled to me as he lit up a smoke.

"Tough kid… You really think you three can do this, huh? Well then, I guess I'll be checking in on Papyrus," Grillby said as he let out a puff of smoke in a ring. With a quick look at him, I think I finally saw his problem.

Without everyone here, we must have been his last customers. Taking in another thought, I smiled to him and took his cigarette. After stamping it in the snow with a dirty look from him, I grinned, "I'm not the Sans you knew. That being said, I'm still your friend Grillby. Smoking ends. I'll be back for dinner with the kid. How about that? I'll even text Pap to come with Dad. Make a gathering out of it. Sound good?"

Grillby stopped glaring and seemed at a loss. He smiled through the flames as he puffed one last ring of smoke. There must have been snow in my eyes or I was seeing Grillby change from before, "I'll be glad to cook for you. I'll even spot you a bottle of ketchup with your meal. It'll be nice to see the whole family. Whether you're the Sans I knew or not, I'm glad to know that you're trying to help everybody. Take care till then. And don't go near the ruins." He pat my shoulder twice as he stood up straight, "Can't promise on the smoking part though..."

Once he noticed the siblings together behind him, he moved past them patting Chara on the head as he whispered something in her ear. She froze a moment as he passed waving back. With a worried look, she shook her head no to me before Asriel could catch it. She moved beside me with a false smile as she nudged me a bit, "Asriel, I need to talk to Sans in private before we go… About stuff from where we're from okay. We'll meet you at the castle. Gaster told us to teleport to his lab first. I have to get a checkup. Meet you there okay?"

"Yeah. My dad was real insistent I stop by with Chara anyhow. Meet you there as soon as possible. Promise. Just don't wanna make him any angrier than he might already be thanks to somebody," I nudged her back as she grinned a bit mischievously. Asriel stared at us both until he seemed to accept some of it as he turned, "See ya there. I'll see if I can get Mom to come too. Be careful, Chara!" He moved to hug her, once within the hug I swear I heard him say in a hushed tone, "Watch out for skeletons."

Once he released her from the hug, he ran off toward the castle as she shivered. Moving a bit behind me, I think I saw her soul ready to fight as if she was scared. I tapped her forehead as she turned on me immediately in shock with a _Hey_ , "Easy, Chara. What did Grillby say to you? It's like you were terrified of something."

"He told me to be watchful of the royal family… My family… Do you think in this timeline that the might be killers? Or maybe they killed me here and I just don't remember because I'm not the Chara from here," she seemed panicked with a bit of shaking as she couldn't find the right words to say. Pointing to the waterfall area, "There's something I need to find in there. The book and glasses. I can't explain right now, but for now just trust me."

 _Done. I know the shortcut there. Worried about what is going on though… Something is really freaking her out here, so I should just go along with it._ Taking her hand, I teleported her to the waterfall district in front of Gerson's shop. She gave a sly wink as she held out some gold in her hand as I stared her. With a shocked look to her, I was baffled until she put it simply, "Asriel may have made an unwilling donation to the cause. Besides we're going to need the items." She was acting odd, but yet I felt what she meant. Something didn't sit right in this timeline. Blaming my family for something we clearly weren't doing was wrong.

With that in mind, I followed her in as Gerson watched me carefully as I leaned against the wall by the door. Chara walked up to him with a smile to be polite, "Do you still sell the cloudy glasses and the torn notebook? I have money to pay for them. Plus six sea teas and four crab apples. Papyrus told me they were the best." She closed her eyes and tilted her head to the side like a cute-faking pro. Scary talent. _I really trusted that she needed these supplies though. I'm really hoping Gerson doesn't stop her from buying them because of me…_ Watching him intently, I saw something happen. A blur clipped the back of his head. What _was that?_

Gerson gave her a skeptical look and then smiled out of nowhere. He moved to grab them in a small bag for her. Instead, he grabbed a backpack upon seeing her gold pouch. He put 10 sea teas and 10 crab apples in there while handing her the notebook and glasses. Once in the bag, she handed him the pouch with a smile, "Thanks, Gerson. Its good to know there's nice folks like you around. Come on, Sans." She moved past me out the door as I followed. Gerson looked totally spell bound for some reason as I followed her out.

"What did you do to him, Chara? He seemed out of it as we left," I asked her as she turned to me a bit more serious than I thought she would be.

She used a flat line instead of her smile, "Something has smelled off about this timeline since I saw Snowdin. The moment I saw Asriel and no other monsters around… That's' not right. As for them blaming you and the rest of your family, it doesn't add up. So why not be prepared in case… When I was standing in Snowdin, I heard a small voice call me. It told me about this place and how to take Asriel's gold after he wasn't paying attention to me anymore. Fair is fair. Sans, I don't know what's going on here, but these monsters are hiding something. From my previous experience with Frisk, better to be prepared. If you're caught off guard, then you end up dead."

She was becoming cautious of this place, which I was beginning to feel. Something deep down inside told me to trust her feeling on this, like a pull in a direction I didn't know yet. That still didn't process one thing, "What did you do to him though? It was like he just caved to your demands in an instant without hesitation. He didn't even give his two cents on anything." Gerson's change really bothered me as I thought it over and over again.

Chara shrugged as she held out a sea tea to me with a crab apple, "I don't know Sans. I know we need to be ready to move in an instant in case. Just a feeling is all. Whatever happened to Gerson, who cares. It helped us. As for these, take them. They'll heal you if you get hurt." When I reached to take them from her hand, she held onto my hand a minute, "Don't get hurt though. You said we're in this together. That means you can't let yourself get hurt or killed. Promise me!"

She was so straight forward that I wasn't going to lie to her or blind myself to the fear she had on her face. With a smile, I put the items in my pocket and took her hand, "I may get hurt… Can't promise that if what we think is right. As for dying, I'm not aloud to. Told you, didn't I? I'm stuck with you now. No more running away. Only running at a problem head on together." She seemed to relax as I teleported us to the lobby in front of Gaster's lab before the door to make sure I didn't just barge in, "He told me to check on Papyrus while he checks you up. I'll be right back, okay? Besides, your wearing my only spare hoodie I know of. I have to come back to you." I winked as she chuckled. She moved inside the lab as I focused on Snowdin, right beside the sign to town.

I saw Papyrus coming back to town slowly as he seemed depressed. Raising a hand to wave, I smiled, "Hey Pap. I came back to check on you. Dad was worried since you didn't seem okay earlier." He gave me a slow look up and down as he smiled a bit. Glad to see him smile, I thought. With some consideration, I spoke up, "Papyrus. Can you do me a favor? Answer a question…" After watching him slowly nod yes, he became cautious as I spoke up bluntly, "What was I like a month ago?"

Fear was his only response. His gaze was distant, cold, and afraid. Like he was trapped in a memory. He spoke up slowly, "Well you see Tu- Sans. Dad told me about what happened to you three. As for what you were like… Something was happening to you. Sometimes you would snap out of nowhere and as you did, dust appeared from thin air and would swallow whomever or whatever made you mad. Admittedly it was hard to make you mad but one day a human fell. She had a book and glasses. When she asked too many questions, I saw you getting frustrated, thus I directed them to Alphys for answers. They asked you again why you were hiding behind your sentry stand talking to yourself. That's when I saw the dust swallow the human and their soul.

"You changed that day completely. When we got back to town, we promised to hide what happened. But you went out the next day and found a dog. When you came home with it, I thought you were okay. That's when I found you in the garage late one night. The dog was covered in dust and its eyes were empty like ours. I assumed you used too much magic because you passed out. That's when you woke up like this… The new you. The one I remembered before you fell apart. I really thought I had a second chance…" He seemed at a loss for more words as his gaze fell to the snow with melancholy in his tone, "Now people fear us… All because we hid the truth a month ago. The reports going on… I wanted to believe they weren't you. Especially when you woke up and you were different. I was hoping I had the real you back…"

He was utterly defeated looking at him now. Exhausted from constant patrols as if he is trying to make up for the sins the previous me committed. Or possibly committed. Truthfully if that's right, the dust drawing to me in my timeline might not be far off. Possibly it might have confused us for each other. Did he replace me then or did I just overwrite him? I'm so confused. I slumped back a bit holding my head as I remembered what he said, "So all your saying is your brother got upset and he used his abilities… I need to test something ou-"

"NO! Don't test any of it out. He did too, and he started to change. Sans please. Don't become Turn. He wasn't okay and needed help that none of us could really give," Papyrus freaked out to stop me as I ended up teleporting both of us to the door to Gaster's lab. He looked around but still ended up holding onto my arm, "Sans, don't. Turn wasn't okay. He was sick. Why do you have to do this? Turn was sick when he passed out. He was…" He stalled for right words at that moment, almost choking back tears.

Part of me knew already as I was blunt and honest, "Dying, right?" Once he nodded, I saw it all now. He was dying, probably dead. The dust that attacked me wasn't Pap's dust. It was his then. Then why try to kill Chara? Did he really have control or was the dust from my old timeline somehow involved? With a nod, "Then somehow his dust found me except instead he managed to screw it up. Chara had no control of her abilities, which means when he came to me with the last of his magic, it drew us here. I think I know how to get home now Pap and a lot more insight to how I got here. I'm sorry about Turn, but he's better off. If he came to find me, it meant he was trying to make sure he could still be with you after all that. I'm sorry he didn't come back."

Pap just stared at me as some tears fell, noticing his eyes go dark. That was the most defeated I had seen him yet. I felt for him, I really did. There was nothing I could do though. With a pat on his shoulder, I smiled to him, "He was lucky to have you. You cared enough for him to risk it all. That means everything, I know it. I'm sorry though… I must do this. If this is all true then this knowledge could get us home. That's true than I can help others with it. Get us home."

"You can't just leave. The moment you got here, things got worse. Fix the mess you brought with you without using any of the dust around. I won't allow you to fall to the lengths Turn did. I'll stop you," he began angry as I spoke up quickly, "I'm betting you will." With a hand on his shoulder still, I teleported him to Snowdin at the ruin's door. It gave me time to discover things before Gaster knew about the content of the argument but not a lot of time. Taking after the kid's example, I also had his phone in his hand. _Sorry Pap, but this could be helpful to us to get home or help this timeline. You'll learn to forgive me, I know it._

Moving inside the lobby before the lab, I could feel something pushing me on edge. As if some external force was making me fully aware of its presence. No one was inside the lobby of the lab and the door to the lab was shut. _Let's try drawing him out now that I've upset Papyrus. Sorry Pap. I really didn't mean to be harsh. It's just the plan._ I called out to it with a grin, "You mad yet Turn? I know that dust was yours now. Come on out. I'd love to know how mad you are from me totally downing your bro' like that." That was when I dodged out of the way of a dust covered fist manifesting near me as my doppelganger stood in front of me, simply fuming with rage.

He glared at me as his attempt at intimidation failed. With a refocus, he stared me down, "What do you want, jerk? Papyrus will stop you. He's stronger here then in the timeline you're from. Don't get comfortable." His only differences were that he wore his hood up, his hoodie was white with a black scarf and a silver bell on it that lay flat to his side with black sweat pants and white slippers.

"You're the one who caused us to get yanked here after you died, you idiot. Take some damn responsibility. As for what's going on, you started this by pushing those abilities too far. Start with the beginning. What changed in you? And how did you use that change to use your abilities more effectively? Tell me or I'll walk through those doors right now to tell Dad." I spoke up with authority and threatening demeanor. This wasn't a playground anymore, thus its time to show I mean business. Holding a hand up, I levitated the dust that made him up as he seemed disinterested.

A well-placed amount of frustration wouldn't help me. I'm too close to the lab to start this fight, "Alright Turn. Tell me then. You were testing your power on monsters, weren't you?" He froze up in the levitation on that one as I noticed his soul was only an outer lining with slightly purple edges to it. He was stuck with me while I had use of his power, hopefully I could use it. Time to push a button, "You knew what could happen if you ever lost control. Muffet, Mettaton, and Alphys. No wonder Undyne wants to kill me. This timeline's Alphys is in that large supply of dust you're using to manifest, isn't she?"

With each name and statement, he seemed to falter a little bit more till I saw his regret, "I didn't mean to!" He unformed and reformed in front of me on the ground practically shaking, "We were talking about Pap and the fact the spiders saw a human in the ruins. She was going to turn me into Undyne, so I freaked out! You would too. She's a terrifying Captain of the Royal Guard. This all isn't okay. Then Mettaton came looking for Muffet and then there went Mettaton too. Alphys came to check the broken camera I hid away from everyone. I didn't mean it." If he could cry, I bet he would. This doesn't change the problem.

"Help me fix this then. Maybe together we can do this," I smiled to him as I saw him vanish into thin air. _That supports the thin air dust claim by Papyrus._ That's when Chara threw something at me as I felt pushed out of the way into a chair by someone. _Did he just push me?_ With a look to the pencil broken on the floor by the wall, I spoke up slowly, "You could have hit me. What's wrong with you, Chara? I came back."

She watched me with what I could only think was caution, "Who were you talking to just now? Gaster said you were talking to Papyrus and then sent him away. Next thing I know, I saw you on the camera talking to… Something. Who was the hooded guy there?" She asked me still worried as she gave me a slightly wary glance, "And why did you send Papyrus away? He seemed upset."

 _Great. More of a mess to clean up._ Thinking critically, I held a hand out, "If Gaster is done with you, we should talk elsewhere. I know a spot that's not really visited often." When I saw her give me a worried look, I reassured her with a smile, "Kid, I need to get a change of clothes anyway. Maybe this Sans has some of his normal clothing he wore back in his room. And we promised to figure this out together, meaning I don't wanna lose track of you for a single moment. Fair?"

Nodding, she smiled to me as she took my hand. She was ready to go as I saw Gaster walk out to greet us. I waved to him as Gaster glared, "Off again, Sans? Should I even ask where Papyrus is?" He sounded worried for Papyrus, but his gaze was watchful of me.

"He's okay. Said he wanted time to think. We're heading home. I was hoping for a change of clothes too. I still have some dust on me from our timeline. Also figured Chara might like to go back to Snowdin to see Papyrus since she wasn't really awake to see him. He might really perk up at the sign of her. Cheering him up would help out too," I said it all plainly as not to provoke any reaction from him. Learned my lesson with Dad a long time ago that if you wanna hide something, just tell the truth with a few missing pieces.

He sighed and rubbed the back of his skull, "I'm coming with you. He really worries me. I may not be his father from this timeline, but I feel the need to help him. His brother is gone now so it is time that someone talks to him about it. He told me Turn died when no one was in Snowdin. I know this may not be okay with you, but you should wear his clothing. People don't need to be anymore suspicious of us than they are."

 _I need to stop him, but what do I say?_ A thought hit me as I spoke up, "You may not be the Gaster he knew. Maybe we can find him though. Let Chara and I investigate the dust matter with Papyrus. Why not stay here and see if we can use a similar method that I was using to get you out to get him out of there. Its worth a shot. If we can save this timeline's Gaster, we would get a lot of answers. If you had the answers from the void, he might too. He would have to know what happened."

Gaster actually went to protest till he truly thought about what I said. That's when he looked to me with a smile and nod, "Good idea, Sans. I'll get started right away. Please keep Papyrus company." As his smile became darker and concerned, he looked back at me before he went back into the lab, "Stay away from the castle… I listened to what they thought of Turn here… The you from this timeline was called Turn. He was seen as a menace or something worse and Papyrus was drug into the same image for protecting him. And Chara?"

He held out a small case to her about the size of a dictionary as she stared at it confused. He smiled to her, "Only if you ever need this should you open it. Those vials will heal any injuries no matter how severe unless the monster is dying. I don't know what you'll do, though I'll be damned if I watch another child die. Monster or human." He winked to her as she put the small case in her backpack with a nod to her. She seemed to understand what he was saying for now. All that meant was I was still lost.

Before Gaster could question my intention further, I teleported us through the shortcut to the hallway by my- Turn's bedroom. I chuckled, "I'll be down in a minute. Can you check on Papyrus? He might be in his room." She nodded and moved down the hall as I walked into my room. This place was a worse mess than my own room. First of all, papers were scattered across the floor. 'Sorry', 'Accident', 'Not my fault', 'Didn't mean to', or 'Forgive me' were scrawled over them as many times as the minuscule handwriting could fit. The lamp and stereo in here were broken in half too along with the pillow to the bed now on the floor. Don't get me started on the bed. The blanket was torn up too as if something happened in here. Underneath it I saw a black sweatshirt and a spare set of clothes. As I walked over to lift the blanket to grab the clothes until I saw the wall by his bed with the window.

What I saw I couldn't be unseen. The same words scrawled over the wall thousands of times and overlapping each other. The words to the front were more erratic as if his guilt was killing him. That's when a hand touched the wall that I recognized, "You were really unhealthy weren't you? Papyrus wasn't kidding. You were sick…"

"I wasn't sick!" he turned to me as dust rose out of thin air to form spiked columns in the room from his anger. He looked around as his panic returned, "I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" He sunk to the floor, hugging his knees.

This was wrong. Alternate me or not, they didn't deserve this type of torture. Kneeling in front of him, I put a hand on his somewhat solid shoulder, "Easy, Turn. Calm down. Breathe. I'm right here with you. No more negative comments. Promise." He seemed to calm down as the spiked columns slowly disappeared. With a smile, I held a hand out to him to help him up, "Emotions… That's your trigger. When you panicked, you lost control. I can help with that though. Once I change, I have a kid who you should meet. She could bring you back Turn."

"Back? No, I don't deserve that. Please-" he started.

"You don't deserve to be a living mess like this either. Let Chara help you," I turned to grab a new sweatshirt as I watched the dust come off my bones when I took my sweatshirt off, "What the…. I guess I really was covered in dust from my timeline." _Not memories I want to think of, but I guess they'll always be there._ I only put on the white hoodie. Looking back at him, I saw he was staring at me oddly. It took me till now to notice but he had on black pants, a white hoodie without fur on it like my old one at my real house. He also had a white scarf with a large bell on the end of it hanging at his side. He seemed to look off putting to me.

He seemed to take notice at my staring as he redirected the topic with a stare out the window now, "You think she could really bring me back from just my dust?" He paused as I moved beside him. Outside, I saw Chara talking to Papyrus as he was actually smiling for once. That was when Turn spoke up with a more confident nod, "I want to be myself again. To be there for my brother and find our Dad like we promised each other. And to steal the souls before…" Going into a trance, he stopped speaking as I wondered what he was going to say as he snapped back into it suddenly, "I don't know… I know I had to get the souls before something happened."

"You could help Chara and me investigate when your back in full shape. Asriel said he'd help too," I smiled to him as he grew fearful, "Or not Asriel… What did I say something wrong?"

Shaking his head fervently, "Don't let the royal family help you. Don't let them know you were even thinking of investigating. I can't remember why, but something never seemed right about them. A friend of mine told me that, though I haven't seen him since you all arrived."

 _A revelation indeed._ _Grillby told her not to trust them either. Time to see if Chara would help him. We're going to need help._ I pat his back with a nod, "I'm borrowing a new sweatshirt, but we should go down to Papyrus and Chara. She healed someone before. She can help you too. Give her a chance. If you've been following me, then you know she can help. Help you at least."

Seeming to consider this, he nodded yes as he followed me outside. As if on cue, Chara turned around with a small cringe backwards until Papyrus broke into tears, "Turn! You're still here. I missed you so much!" He tried to hug Turn as he went right through him. He seemed to understand then, "You aren't fully here, are you?" When he shook his head no, Pap stared at him in a moment of loss.

Chara moved over to Turn to hold a hand out to him, "Maybe he could be. Gaster said if I focus, I could use my magic. I can still see the linings of the edge of a soul. What if he could be here? Is that why you brought him downstairs, Sans?"

Once I nodded, she smiled to Pap and Turn, "Well you two. I need both your consent. If I'm going to do this, I don't wanna do this without permission. So, are you two in?" Her confidence was brimming as her soul still had a rainbow hue to it. _She really did change for the good. I wondered if her becoming good meant my cynicality was me turning…. No. Never mind that thought._ Changing focus, I saw Pap smile to Turn. Turn hesitantly nodded taking her hand. He was shy, though with Chara that won't last long.

Chara nodded with her mind focusing. Instantly, I took Pap's hand and teleported back twenty feet, "Cover your eyes, Pap." He did so as I did too. All of the sudden, wind blew past us I heard Chara speak, though not what she said clearly. After what seemed an eternity, the wind ceased as I noted that most the snow on the Snowdin rooftops was gone. I touched Pap's arm as I pointed to the pair in the snow. Chara sat in the snow with a cocky grin on her face along with some fatigue to her features. In front of her, a fully formed Turn was staring at his bones in shock until Pap tackled him to the ground in a hug.

Moving to Chara, I pat her back as she coughed a bit, "Still getting use to this power… Sans, can you help me stand. I can't move my legs." I lifted her up and put and arm around my shoulder to support her. I noticed Turn had stood up with Papyrus now happier than I saw him in his room. He moved to Chara and me with a smile.

"I wanna help. I don't remember a whole lot about why I was doing what I did. That being said, I don't want the skeleton name drug through the dirt. Dad shouldn't come back to that," he smiled to us with a nod to Pap. Papyrus seemed to smile in reply as he agreed to join in.

Chara smiled a bit, weakly I might add, "That's good. Can I rest a bit? I've used a lot of magic between the lab and here. I'm exhaust-"

A voice cleared their throat from the eastern end of Snowdin as there stood Undyne. The same armor I remember but this one had blood stains on it, hardened to remain there forever. Instantly I froze, trying to think of a way out.

"The King and Queen request your presence. Just the kid. You three stay here," she glared at Turn who shrunk back a bit.

My eye lit up a light glow as I glared at her, "Not without me. She's with me. Either I go, or she stays." _The threat was real now. He was right. She is scarier here with deadly intent. If they only want her, it could be because of her abilities. Can't let them have her or at least can't let her go alone._ With an idea in my head, I spoke up again, "Unless you want to tangle with a Sans from another world. I'd hate to wipe the snow with fish paste." I could still feel Chara leaning on me heavily to stand. She could barely stand, let alone fight. This was bad. My threat was only half baked since I've been teleporting all day.

Undyne saw right through me when she approached and flicked aside Turn. Papyrus moved over to him protectively. With a glare at me she continued holding a spear at both of us, "Can't run anywhere now punk. I got here in time to see wind pushing us back. Whatever you did, that was a huge burst of magic. Neither of you can fight me right now." She grinned until I saw Grillby come outside with a warning look to him.

"Fine… Take all of us to the castle then. Make it a party," I teleported my phone beside Grillby as it was already dialing Gaster's phone. Quickly, Grillby moved inside with the phone and shut the door silently. Turn gave me a panicked expression as I shook my head no. Looking back to Undyne, I grinned, "No reason to let the others out of the fun, right?" Chara's weight became heavier as I think she passed out. Moving was going to be a pain now, especially dodging.

She waved a hand as she turned around to walk away, "Fine. Grab the girl and bring those two. You'll all meet the King and Queen." She tried to kick Turn in passing as Pap got in the way as I think I heard a rib crack. Sliding Chara onto my back before they could grab her, I began walking, but something held me in place. Dust was at my feet holding me there, even as I struggled. Turn was making sure Pap was okay, so it wasn't him. I threw Chara in front of me in the snow when I felt it pulling me backwards, "Woah!... Hey let go! Turn! Turn! The dust!"

Turn looked at me with fear in his expression. He clearly wasn't doing this, but maybe he could control it. Turn ran over to grab my hand as his eyes let off a purple flame. The dust still pulled as I saw him straining to use more magic, "Sans, it isn't listening to me. Something is wrong." It pulled me away from his grasp as I struggled.

"What is going on back… here…" Undyne stopped at the sight of the dust pulling me away. I struggled as I reached out a hand. Undyne ran back to grab my hand as she pulled hard, "Not another monster. Not today." She summoned spears to hit the dust as it seemed to loosen, but not enough. Instead a small spike, much like Turn's dust spikes, came from the snow and knocked her away as I felt myself being pulled away again.

"Turn! Watch over her. Promise me. Protect her!" I realized that I was going to disappear too. I couldn't leave her alone like that, not again. _I promised her… Damnit!_ He went to reach for me one last time as I felt myself being yanked away into the snow. Something hit me in the skull as I felt myself slowly falling unconscious.

 ** _Turn Sans' Point of View_**

 _What do I do? He's gone! What do I do? This is my fault…_ My panic caused the dust to rise up around me that I knew was mine. Suddenly, Pap hugged me from behind with a smile, "Turn. I'm here. It's okay. This isn't your fault. That wasn't you. You couldn't control what just happened." With Pap, I felt calmer than before as I saw the girl that helped me. Chara, I think. Motioning Pap to help me, Pap carried her on his back with a smile. She was passed out but unharmed. I saw Undyne recovering as she stared at us.

"Where did he go? Tell me, damnit! I can't lose anymore monsters to the ruins like that. Turn, tell me what just happened. What did you just do?" she moved nearby, but not close I noted. She was scared and enraged all at once. I've never seen Undyne afraid in my lifetime. Always strong, confident, and fearless.

I shook my head, "Nothing! It wasn't my fault. That wasn't my dust. Something is wrong with that dust, but it pulled him back into the ruins." Trying to process what just happened, I think that dust isn't mine. It can't come to life or move without magic. That means that something or someone is powering- Wait a minute! Looking to Papyrus, I spoke low as not to be heard, "We need to find a place for her to rest anyway. Sans asked me to take care of her. That means it's up to us."

Pap gave me sad smile as he set Chara on my back. With a slow step in front of me, he summoned a bone sword, "Go ahead. I'll give you two all the time I can. You need to wake her up. She can get you somewhere safe. You've been there before with Sans. Please, Turn. Find a place to hide and wait this out. I'm trust you'll take care of her and yourself."

I stared in awe at him as he stood ready to fight. Undyne glared at him with a roar to her voice, "Papyrus! Don't throw away your last chance at the royal guard. Give them over to me and we can get you to the capital for safety." She was trying to trick him as Pap shook his head no.

"I won't abandon him again out of fear, guilt, or shame," Pap stood up confident as at least twenty bone swords appeared by him, "He is my brother. No matter what you people say about him. He never meant anything. Everything you blame him for isn't his fault. It never was. Something is happening in the ruins and all you want to do is blame Turn!"

With a smile to Pap, I set Chara down behind me against the house. With a confidence I was happy to have, I held a hand up as dust moved around us. My eyes shaded over with purple flames as I formed blasters out of the dust, "I take responsibility for Alphys, Mettaton, and Muffet. The others weren't me. Something messed with my abilities from the ruins. We won't be going to the castle though." I knew I could control this like they all believed I could. This was my dust. Time to focus. Focusing my magic, I surrounded Papyrus, Chara and myself in a dust orb. When I remembered Dad's lab perfectly, the dust fell away as we all fell from near the ceiling. _Wrong height!_

Something caught us as I saw our Dad in front of us. _Dad was back? He's really…._ Gaster spoke up to us smiling softly to Pap and I, "You both are still okay... Though your teleporting needs work, Turn." He prodded at me lightly as he set us on the ground. Staring behind me at Chara, I saw him move around us, "Nonsense. She's gone…" Dad was at a total loss for words, "I watched her die a long time ago…"

"Dad, what are you- What do you mean? You were gone after the King and Queen's daughter vanished. Then you vanished too. Please tell us what is going on and what happened. We just need to hear it from you," Pap said as he stood up, touching Gaster's arm.

Moving to Chara's side, I helped her up with a bit of concern, "Afterwards Pap… Chara should hear it too. Whatever is going on, it took Sans. We should all hear it when she gets up." I gave Gaster a small smile, "Can she rest in here… Where it isn't an exploded mess." It took me till just now to notice the lab was a total wreck. He nodded and led me to a side room. It was a bedroom that he kept in here for himself. I let Chara down on the bed to rest with the backpack by her on the floor. With a move to the main lab, I looked around until I saw the dust by the door.

Dad watched me as I moved to the pile and held a hand to it. Once I touched it, the dust moved around my hand as I thought about it. _Could I make it reform to whomever it was? I wanna try._ I held a hand up with some space to form it as I focused. Purple fire surrounded me as there stood another version of Dad but in a long black coat as he looked around in half a panic, "Where? Wha- Sa… No, you aren't Sans, are you?"

Shaking my head no, my gaze couldn't meet his. The only thing I could say was the truth as I thought about it, "He's gone. The dust drug him back to the ruins. I'm Turn. Chara brought me back, but then the dust… I'm sorry. I couldn't control it. It just took him."

I felt a hand on my shoulder from behind me as my dad reassured me, "Turn, you did what you could. This dust isn't any that you created. Maybe with time we can control it."

"It's from my timeline. My preliminary reports shown it was focused on Sans' soul," I saw his dust un-forming slowly, "This won't last. Take my dust, Turn. Save my son…" his dust fell away as I stared in awe.

Dad and I watched as the dust moved around me and vanished. He smiled to me with a slow nod, "You're all right. We need to talk. Let's make some dinner while we wait for Chara to wake up. I'd want her to hear this too since she's stuck here now. This is her home too. She should know what you two do. For now, who wants to cook spaghetti?" His smile brought back memories of good times and yet reminded me of something. I saw dust swirling around me in a tube as he watched momentarily as I jumped back from him. Once the vision ended, I noticed Pap moving along with dad to the back kitchen. _What was that? A memory? Vision of the future? Why was Dad just watching me?_ _What is he hiding from me that I'm just now remembering like a waking nightmare?_ Instead, I opted to sit in the room Chara was resting in to wait for her. I needed to think on these memories. At some point I think I dozed off.


	8. Chapter 7: The Way of the Upturn

_The room I woke up in was devoid of anyone except me. Chara must have left already, although I don't know what to tell her. Sans is gone now… Once dust takes a soul, it becomes part of it. I couldn't even save him, could I? Moving to stand, I found myself seeing the room in a duller grey steel than usual. The walls even looked to have a grain-like texture. Something wasn't right here. As the door slid open with a mechanical hiss, I saw the lab empty too. Well, to be honest, the lab was darker than usual too. Nothing about this place seemed like I remembered... Or was it? The grainy floor surged upwards suddenly as a series of three tubes were here. Pap was in one motionless, unconscious maybe. The last one other side was just dust. The middle was… Me. The dust from the left one moved around me into the middle tube. All of the sudden I saw my younger, child duplicate fight against it until he too was unconscious._

 _Pounding the glass, I tried to open it as I heard Dad behind me speaking, "What? Her dust is… It's bonding to his soul. Amazing… We will need to test his affinity for dust later when he wakes. This must be documented and tested. Brilliant! Her dust saved his weakened soul." He was taking notes while brimming with joy. There was a tear in his eye and yet he didn't notice when I was trying to break the glass. Was this a memory or some sinister nightmare? A Memory? It had to be._

 _Dad turned around then with a dark thought in mind as he saw a local janitor. I ran in front of him as he just walked through me. When I cried out the words 'Stop!' He finally stopped moving. Everything did. Turning around me the dusty grey walls move as Alphys, Mettaton, Muffet and oddly enough the human girl that fell was here too. Alphys smiled to me softly as she held onto my hand, "We're upset sure… But they need you now. I'm not around to invent us out of this."_

 _"Or I! To entertain and reassure them," Mettaton said with a flare to his pose he struck._

 _Muffet smiled a bit, "Or any of us to help protect them."_

 _The human smiled as she moved up to touch my shoulder, "You have a special power. My soul gave you control of it. Just use it. Promise me, you'll help Chara. She's scared, and the monsters down here need help. With Chara, the monsters can go free."_

 _"Save them. Control the dust. It's your ability after all," they all spoke in unison as the dust moved around me. The human hugged me, "I'm sorry I pushed you. Now save that Sans. You'll know how to control it all and what to do when time comes." They waved as the dream fell away as I fell through the floor._

I fell off my chair as Chara was a few feet from me. She burst out laughing as she watched me pick myself back up. Sans was right this whole time. It felt good to see her smile like that. Even laugh. When I picked myself up, she held out a hand as she smiled, "We never got to truly say our introductions. Call me Chara. It's nice to meet you, Turn."

Her confidence was suffocating to be around, though refreshing too. I missed being able to feel at peace like this with a friend. Smiling a little back to her, I shook her hand, "I'm Sans. Most call me Turn though. Sorry I stayed here while you slept. I was really worried about you. I never planned to fall asleep." I was nervous as I continued speaking after introducing myself. I'm not used to be around other monsters was all. That's when I looked aside, "Chara… Its about Sans. He's gone. The dust took him from me and it wouldn't listen to me. I'm sorry."

She stopped me as she hugged me, "Thanks for saving me. I know it must have taken a lot to find a safe place. I'm the one whose sorry. I fear this might be our fault. Sans tried to kill me before in my timeline when he was possessed by dust. You control dust, Turn. Maybe with some help from my abilities, we could save him. Be positive." When she released me, her smile just brought me up a little bit. Something about her just made you feel like anything is possible. Considering she brought me back from the dead, I guess that might be true. She really was something special.

With a thumb pointed out at the door, I spoke up with a nod out to the lab, "They made spaghetti earlier. We should probably see if they didn't eat it all. We should update you on how things are different here anyhow." I smiled to her as she nodded. Letting her go out of the room ahead of me, I saw the lab still as empty as before yet the kitchen was smoking. Moving ahead of her, I slid to a stop in front of the kitchen, "What's going on in here?!"

Dad was laughing as Papyrus was too. The spaghetti was horribly burned and smoking as I saw the fan in the kitchen ceiling sucking in the smoke. Chara was behind me, coughing. Dad turned to us as he was still laughing a bit, "We were making spaghetti Papyrus' way until I saw it smoking. He told me that Undyne taught him to cook and I just finished telling him how she cooked when she was younger. Nearly burned the King's castle." He let out a chuckle as Papyrus laughed a bit too.

Staring at them, I was thinking the smoke made them loopy. I moved to trash the burnt mess and try to cool the pan off with water before it burned the pan further. Chara moved around them to help me as Dad levitated the mess into a garbage shoot. He levitated both of us in front of him, "Now you two. Shall we talk?" I was shivering at the thought of my memories but Chara was terrified. Hate to guess, but her Gaster must not of done things like this lightly.

Dad caught on as he set us on our feet with a small smile, "I'm Gaster. But you knew that. I'm Turn and Papyrus' father. Glad to have a guest. As for yourself, you're probably wondering everything going on here in this world. I thought it would be good to bring you up to speed to what you might have confused."

He moved us all to the table as Papyrus sat down just as intrigued as Chara. Me, I was still pondering the memory of before. Listening to only half of what was said.

Dad started as such:

"To begin, when you fell here… The King and Queen loved you dearly until I figured out a human soul might break us out of here. Seven would empower them. Once they had six, killing the other falling humans without a shred of guilt, I noticed you would be next. The you from this time. When I kidnapped her and told her what was going on, she was devastated by it all. Came to find out later, Asriel was luring you into the castle to kill you and take your soul. Or let the royal parents do it. So, I kept you, even in your poor health. She gave me her soul and told me to stop them from hurting anyone else. I failed. I found myself stuck in the void after they rigged the core to fail temporarily. Thus, I was launched down into the core where I ended up in the void. Much like the Gaster you knew. They will try to kill you, too."

"They needed one soul, but they think your human. All bad signs really. Most won't see that you're actually a monster with all seven souls. Your soul just took the body of the human that fell. Something isn't right though… Papyrus said that your friend was pulled into the ruins. No one is aloud there. It was dangerous since a long time ago. We all moved into Snowdin and further up. The part you should know is that Asriel is not your family. I found the real Asriel that you knew. He was in the back of the lab recovering. Apparently, your Gaster was helping him recover. He's still a flower, but a flower with a soul. Seems you had an impact on him after all from the notes left behind for me. Before you go see him, listen a bit longer."

"Turn has had the ability to control dust since he was younger. Papyrus has immense combat abilities with melee and ranged as well. We are going to have to test your abilities after some rest as well. That means for now, we're locked in here. We will save your friend, though give me time to process all the information I can as of coming back to underground. Why don't you go see Flowey? He seemed to be doing better besides being stuck in a pot. You should be okay to carry him with you, though be careful with him. The soil has a strange texture. I don't want him in contact with it."

Nodding as I watched Chara take all this surprisingly well. At least, I think she was. She stood up, not saying a word, and left. Looking to Gaster, I found myself with a need to ask something, "You think she's taking all of this okay? She just learned that everything she knew and loved is either gone or trying to kill her. Let alone with Sans being taken. This can't be okay for her." I said all of this, not thinking Pap would even talk about it.

Papyrus just smiled to me, "I think she's processing. Waiting until afterwards might be worse. Turn, you should go see if she is okay."

"When reality becomes a dream and dream becomes reality for someone like her, it must seem as if her world is falling apart. She is no longer of her timeline. Knowing those who raised her wish her soul doesn't help much either. As for her situation, Turn can talk to her after we all talk about something serious," Dad spoke up to bring to point a fact that we all knew. I, more than most, understood her plight. I shut off from people to hope to save them even though it killed me inside. But Dad having a serious conversation is scary.

Looking aside as I was fiddling with a bit of dust to create a small dagger in the air, "What is so serious that it can't wait? I don't think I should leave her alone very long." My reality collapsed on me once, too. Everything fell apart when I hurt my friends. Let alone the fact that shutting myself off affected my mind. Besides, Sans told me to take care of her and protect her. That means being there for her, I know it. Can't sit here long. I know I sat there too long before my death and look where it got me.

Seeming to pick up on my discomfort, Dad spoke up swiftly, "We all need to talk about what's going on. I may have had a front row seat to everything going on from the void but… I need to hear it from you two." He sounded stern and tough, like a superior to his assistants. His attitude right now was trying to be that of a Dad, but he sometimes mixed that up with the Lead scientist role.

Papyrus looked to me as I could tell he had no words to say. Instead, I stepped in with a sigh, "A while ago, my dust started over reacting to my emotions. Normally, it stayed hidden. Then when I saw this human come through. Before she could find me, I hid behind my sentry stand. I wanted to let Papyrus deal with her. She found me though and after a few verbal pushes… My dust went awry. It swallowed the human whole. Then the spiders told Muffet about it. Then Muffett came and went too. All the asking tossed my abilities into some haywire state. My emotions were awry when Mettaton freaked me out too. When Alphys came to check a broken camera we hid away…"

Papyrus stopped me as he stepped into the conversation finally, "It wasn't his fault. His abilities hadn't gone out of control in a long time since the incident. And yet… When the monsters vacated the ruins, I think Turn's abilities somehow went haywire. To me, his abilities always seemed to be wary of anything from the ruins. I've always trusted that feeling of his, but still…"

"The time the ruins were vacated… Hm. I need to speak to Asgore about that time period. More light must be shed on the evacuation situation. As for Chara and Turn, both should stay here. Papyrus can watch over-" Dad started to speak until Papyrus raised his voice.

Interrupting Dad suddenly, Papyrus spoke up edged with worry, "Let me come! Just in case you need back up. After what happened to us in Snowdin, we need to stick together if we leave. Please!"

Besides my shock, Dad was stunned until he smiled with a nod, "You're right. I'll have you come with me so that we have some defense in case something goes wrong. Turn and Chara can wait here. If I am reading my emails correctly, they are being depicted as traitors. For now, we are the ones who need to do this. Turn, check on her while I'm gone. Without her friend here, I'm not sure what she'll do. Loss can do some horrible things to you." He eyed Papyrus as I looked at him too. Papyrus showed a small amount of guilt as he looked to table.

Dad stood up as he motioned Papyrus with him. He shook his head as if to tell me not to question it for now. Moving opposite them, I headed for the small office space Dad often used as a closed lab. He had his computer and his notes that I only half understood in the strange language he writes. Chara sat in the chair with a flower that had one row of petals on the inner circle (green, light blue, blue, purple, yellow) and then the whole second ring was red. It was looking at the screen with her until it turned to me, "Great! The smiley trashbag is here…" He sounded displeased as he glared at me.

She turned around in the chair as she looked up at me, "Sorry! I was jus reading because he had notes on what happened in this timeline and… I just wanted to understand you more…" She was lying and telling the truth at the same time. Leaving that alone, I could only translate some of his notes; 'Dust use can corrupt a soul unless it has an anchoring point or something or someone to bring it back from the influence and mind control of the dust.' The rest of it was gibberish to me.

Putting a hand on her shoulder, I smiled to her, "I get it. You don't know a lot about dust control. Or why it took him."

"You don't get it! He texted me… How is that possible? And what he said…" she was tearing herself apart over whatever he sent. I let her give me her phone as I read the text; 'Time to decide kid. Let us kill you for the righteous vengeance we all deserve. Or hide away in a secondary area we can't reach while we prepare to kill every monster down here to add to our cause. Either way, I kill you. You killed us all at least once. Its only fair…' She looked aside as the flower wrapped a vine lightly around her hand as he didn't seem to know how to comfort her.

With a thought in mind, I hit the power button on the computer, "No more serious crap. You're coming with me." I picked her up over my shoulder while she was still holding the flower pot. She struggled, which didn't really bother me since I was stronger than her. After getting her to the kitchen, I set her in a chair as she was bright red, and the flower was blooming mad, "Stay." The kitchen had a few bits of food in it. Finding the hot dogs and condiments, I started cooking them on a small grill pan, "Time to eat and just get to know each other. No running away kid." I summoned my dust to block the entryway to the kitchen.

With a small sigh, I heard her sit back at the table. A chuckle came out of me as I spoke up while cooking, "Chara… What was it like in your timeline? Who were you then?" Getting to know her seemed best since I didn't understand a whole lot about her.

She seemed to wait a moment to respond as she gave up with a deep sigh, "A ghost… I was the ghost of a child no one seemed to remember but my parents. The timeline was good at first. Frisk was making friends with everyone, which allowed me to meet my parents again. That was until she decided to hurt them… I told her to stop and then she murdered my mother. When she tried to back out of it and reset, I stopped her. Forced her to finish what she started until Sans. We had become good friends with him. I didn't want to do it, but by then I made a monster…"

I could tell she regretted it all. As for me, I understood. This power had to stay hidden even though most monsters were unhappy with me. I stayed with her thought, "My abilities didn't make me well liked. I put the dust of the dead monsters in my own abilities… Its dark. Until recently, I had control of it. Now I know it wasn't really me pushing that ability. We all try to hope for the best but sometimes the worst happens. Anyone can get confused on what to do after something bad happens like that."

Finishing the food, I set it on buns and plates. Moving the plates to the table, I put the food in front of her as I smiled, "None of it could have ben avoided. Some people become someone else in certain situations. It doesn't mean that we can't help them. For now, we can work together to help others to fix all this." Smiling to her, I saw her give me a small smile back. _I think I was reaching her somehow._

The flower actually spoke up while she ate, "At first, Frisk was kind and Chara seemed to help her. Yet somehow… Something changed. When Frisk turned around after all of it changed, I finally thought that we were all going to be okay. Sans' Dad seemed to know about me. He told me that my doppelganger was here. Now that he's gone… I'm just hoping we can fix this. You said you control dust… Can you allow it to form? Talk to them…"

"Yeah I can… Who did you want to talk to?" I asked curious to whom he wanted to talk to.

"Our gaster… The one who could help me understand something he never got to finish saying… He mentioned something about my true body and then the lab lit up," the flower looked down at the table as he seemed at a loss.

Chara hugged him to her chest as she smiled, "Asriel, it's okay. We'll figure it out."

Listening to her, I saw the flower, Asriel, show some more emotion as he nodded, "We will… But please, Turn. Can I see him?"

"Alright. Fair warning, it might get weird in here." I remembered how I have done this before as I focused the dust around me in a dome around us. Out of the dust made dome, he came out of it a bit shocked he was there. A white glow tinged the dome to make it bright enough to see.

With a small look to me, he smiled as he looked to Chara and the Asriel, "You're both okay… That's a relief. I was worried for you two." He moved to kneel by her as he put a hand on her shoulder, "I'm so glad you're safe here. There is something you need to know. Both of you. The dust has a cure. I found it. You're guard on his soul made the hold fragile to maintain for the dust. That means your abilities can shield others, like Asriel has been shielded. When the time comes, you'll know how to use it. And Asriel. You can be yourself again, but once you transform you might be stuck that way or shift back. My notes aren't completed. Use it if you wish to. Just promise me that you'll use the souls I took for good use."

That took me back a minute. His words made sense until I heard him say he took those souls. Stopping him, I went pale, "You took those souls from where?!"

He turned to me as he sighed a bit, "A place that I can't explain to you now. The souls of this time are still here. Let's just say that I have had access to a unique power. In essence, I stole those from a timeline that has begun to fall apart. They won't be missed because the timeline no longer exists… I cannot maintain this… Must… Go. Chara, Asriel. You'll be okay. Trust in Turn. And no one else." He fell back into the wall as he vanished. I let the dome vanish as well with a weakness to my body now. That was a good portion of magic I just used.

She set Asriel on the table and rushed to my side as I seemed to watch her image go fuzzy, "Turn! Stay with us now. Turn!" Her words should have pulled me back, instead I saw her fade to black. Time became little more than a placeholder to reality since mine was falling away. That was until the room changed. I was in the ruins in a hallway somewhere. Sans stood nearby as he turned to look at me.

"So… If it isn't the doppelganger who is trying to take my place beside Chara. What have you come here to say this time, ghost boy? Try to tell me that I'm not evil or that I can change? Forget that fuzzy load of crap. Give it time and the entire underground will be singing a new tune. They'll all feel the same way soon. Hope you can fight the entirety of the underground, bonehead. Too bad the bodies are four short because of a murderer like you?" he let out as he didn't miss a beat to bash me in between remarks. As for seeing him, how was I doing this?

Holding a hand out, I desperately tried to call out to him, "Sans! Please! Take my hand and I can save you. That dust is manipulative. It isn't you crying out in vengeance, its them. Listen to me. She misses you. Don't let her down!"

"Quiet you dusted waste of space!..." He seemed to come back to his senses after the rude remark as he looked to me smiling, struggling, "Protect her. And when the time comes… Don't ever leave her. You p-promised…" His eyes darkened again as dust covered them, "Run along home now. Tell them that we're coming!" A wave of bones was sent at me as I tried to defend myself. Seconds later, I was in Chara's arms on the floor as she was panicked, trying to heal me.

I put a bony hand on her arm as I smiled, "I'm okay… I think." She was actually crying, but why?

Asriel hopped up and down on the floor by me, "You trashbag! Your soul wasn't glowing anymore. She was trying to heal you because she thought you were dying. Chara, don't cry over this idiot. He's fine." He sat by her as she nodded.

She couldn't speak as I sat up slowly. Wiping a tear from her cheek, I smiled, "Don't worry… Seems that I was able to talk to Sans in the ruins… I don't think all of the dust he contains wants to kill you. We can turn this aro- Wow!" She hugged me suddenly as she actually cried a bit.

"You jerk! Don't do that to me again! I lost Sans and Gaster… I can't lose you too!" she cried into my shoulder as I just hugged her back. Her body was shaking with fear since she must of panicked when I collapsed. I felt so bad suddenly.

Patting her back, I let her cry till she seemed to calm down. That's when I took a napkin off the table to wipe her cheeks, "No more of that then. We have to work together. Besides, we haven't tested your abilities yet. His too. I promise, I'll always be beside you. I promise with every part of me." She seemed to nod as I think she was calming down. I wish my abilities didn't activate without my will. I was tired of scaring others like this. Patting her shoulder, I got her attention, "We should test out what you can do. See how your abilities work. Together maybe we can make this work. You too, Asriel."

Asriel gave me a _hmf_ as Chara nodded and picked him up, "Let's do it. I wanna try to know my abilities-" she stopped as she looked to the door to the lab as she seemed worried as a loud thud sounded, "I think they're back…"

"Chara, that was a loud thud…" Asriel looked at her with Chara blazing ahead as I moved to the door after them, I thought about it. In the lobby, Dad was supported by Papyrus as he looked banged up as hell. His arm was broken as he had blood staining his white sweatshirt. Papyrus looked banged up too. Pap sat him in a chair as he began to heal my Dad. Chara moved to heal Dad as I saw Asriel stop Pap from healing. Asriel healed Pap instead as he seemed worried now.

Moving to them, I looked to Dad, "What happened?!"

"Apparently after we mentioned that the evacuation might have been the start of everything, Asgore decided to listen. He helped me understand more, and yet Toriel still came at us like we betrayed her," he said as he coughed. Chara tried harder as she set her hand on the broken arm as Dad cringed, "She said Turn is the one who took Snowdin for his own and that I was protecting the human. We're all now enemy number one… Except Toriel had dust on her clothes. I'm concerned the dust is spreading to other monsters." He cringed as his bone sewn back together as he stood up stumbling a bit.

Asriel used his vines to force him back down. He glared, "Back down, you stubborn trashbag. You're still hurt." He said as Dad seemed shocked he spoke back at him. With a small smile, he stayed sitting, "We can't go back for now."

"Sans said the underground might change its mind… Maybe the dust can take over who it used to be… He said they were four bodies short…." I said without thinking as Dad watched me, "Earlier I passed out and I could talk to Sans… It was like I was there, but I wasn't… Chara and Asriel said my soul stopped glowing. Like I was dead or dying…"

He looked at me as he sighed, "I think we need to test your abilities as well as make sure that your vitals look okay. Chara, Flowey; Thank you for healing us." He noticed her eyes were slightly red as I watched her carefully. With a careful look about him, he stood up to go into the lab as he was careful to walk normally even though I saw him cringing. Chara watched him go as she was really upset still. Papyrus still looked bad.

Touching her arm, I smiled to her with a nudge towards Pap. She moved towards him as she touched his arm. He recoiled as his gaze met hers apologetically. Something really bothered him still. What had he done since my death that Dad was talking about? Moving up beside Chara, I picked up the flower pot and handed it to her. I smiled to her, "I think Pap and I need a moment. Can you check on Dad? He may be stubborn, but he needs someone to check on him." With a small smile to her, I grinned, "Please?"

When she sighed and left, I looked up at Pap with a critical gaze, "What happened after I died? I don't remember. Next thing I knew, I was following this other me. Tell me, Pap. What happened here when I died?" Watching his reaction as I spoke, he seemed to want to retreat inside even further. This was unlike him. He never retreats, only steps forward into the light. That's always been his game plan. Why now does he shy away? What has he done?

Papyrus looked aside, away from me. He gave a deep sigh and seemed to give up, "When I went to check on you in the morning… You were gone… I had lost you, too. The weight was unbearable. Thus, I read into the notes hidden in this lab and the ones at the hidden lab at home. Turn, I tried to use your machine with some modifications. Just as I did, a hole ripped open and Sans fell through with her and His father. At first, I thought I saved you until I realized he wasn't like you at all. I'm sorry…"

He really seemed upset over this. Part of me was infuriated that he even attempted to use the machine. A thought hit me in the back of the skull, "You were the reason they got drawn here. Not Chara. Papyrus, you look pretty worse for wear…" I pat his shoulder and smiled, "You did it in grief… I would have faired no better. Look, get some sleep. We'll watch over Dad. He has to run tests on us anyways. Grab some Zzz's bro. We'll all still be here when you wake up. Promise."

With a small glance aside, he lurched forward to hug me as he sighed relief. He said something before but the only words I heard were, "…Real… He's real this time…" He seemed to be reminding himself. I pat his back as I hugged him back. He seemed to relax with a small exhale. As he seemed to calm, he looked to me, "Don't leave. Just stay here. Promise me. You won't change who you are." The odd amount of behavior tossed me off as I thought back on his words. _I might want to tell Dad about what I just heard. Maybe he'll wanna check him out just in case._

Nodding to him, I helped towards the spare room Chara used earlier. With a nudge, he seemed to take my advice as I smiled to him, "Sleep, Pap. We'll all be here when you wake up." Finally caving in, he walked into the room as I watched him go until the door shut. Moving swiftly to the kitchen where I found Chara and Dad, I saw her frying up some hot dogs like I did earlier. _Quick learner…_ I noticed the flo-Asriel sitting on the table staring down my Dad. To his annoyance, my father gave no indication he was paying attention. Decided to sit across from Dad, I pulled Asriel closer to me, "Hey Dad… We need to talk about the meeting… Really talk about it. For starters, you said the Queen had dust on her. Now Pap does too… Getting all that into the open air, tell us what happened."

As if reality had re-entered his perception, Dad looked up at me with a deep sigh. His strained voice seemed to hint at an underlying pain from the injuries he wouldn't let them heal, "The day we evacuated the ruins was because they were changing. The King and Queen had found their child and all of the sudden became obsessed with souls to get out. That was when everything began to fall apart. The Queen became hell bent on killing humans, even her own daughter. Asgore can still be reasoned with. When she came, all of it fell apart. There was dust there attached to Queen."

"Now it could be spreading… He really meant it. The underground would change it's mind. We gotta get to Grillby and the kid he takes care of," I stood up suddenly thinking, "Chara, we should go. Asriel, finish healing his wounds. We'll be right back. I'll take us there if you can bring us back."

Listening carefully, she stood up with a nod, "Right. Let's be careful."

"Dad, don't trust Pap just yet. He has dust on him too. We'll be right back," I held a hand out to her as she took it. Dad touched my free arm.

"Bring Grillby here with the monster kid. I'll quarantine him for now. Be safe you two. Asgore said the dust took Snowdin," Dad told us as he levitated the flower pot by him as he moved towards Pap's room.

With a look to her, I spoke up, "You weren't awake for this last time. So don't freak out." When she nodded, I teleported us in front of Grillby's Diner as dust surrounded as it slowly faded. Once I saw the burning diner as the roof caved in, I could only cry out, "Grillby! Kid!"


	9. Ch 8: How to Turn the Tide

A shrill voice cut through the billowing flames inside as someone called out, "Help! Please! Grillby's knocked out and hurt!"

I held up a hand as the dust I summoned made a wave ready to flood the burning restaurant. The fire went out in a low crackle . Once the fire was out, the dust returned around me protectively as it blocked a shot from a thrown dagger. Wait, Dagger?

Asriel grew a vine around Chara's belt loops to hold on as she held two knives that grew to small guns, "Get them out. I'll get this invader. Asriel, let's go." Asriel boosted a vine off the ground to launch them into the air as I saw Chara let off several shots into the woods. She saw something I didn't clearly. I had to trust her. She told me to get them out. I rushed inside as I saw Grillby on the floor with a few slashes in his vest. Monster Kid was nearby, but not close. I waved him over as he walked to me. I summoned my dust to form a table to carry him as I picked up Monster Kid, "Got you, kid. We'll be okay. Dad can take care of him. I know it."

Monster Kid simply nodded in relief at the idea of Grillby having a friend that could help him. I moved outside to see Chara thrown back into the air as Asriel barely grabbed the edge of a rooftop with a vine as they rolled into the snow. Chara stood up with a cut on her cheek as she glared at the forest, "I thought you said there were no humans here?"

Out of the forest came a girl in black, knee-length sweatshirt and blue jeans on with knee-high white fuzzy boots. She had crimson hair that fell past the tailbone. Her eyes a murderous red glow. She held a knife in each hand as they almost looked like cleavers. She cackled a sadistic laughter as she looked us both over, "Awe! Too bad. You have the wrong Sans. You see, he likes me better. Isn't that right, Sansy?"

"Right, Rose," Sans came from the forest as his blue sweatshirt held blood on its threads. He held out a hand as the snow in the forest sifted with dust. He glared as he felt resistance and the dust grabbed Rose instead. The dust fell from Sans for a moment as he smiled to Chara, "I'll protect you, remember? Ah!" He held her in the dust but it fought for control. He looked up as he smiled weakly, "Chara, get them out of here… Then kill us when your able… All of us… Now run!"

Chara had a tear in her eye as she hugged me tight, "I'm sorry. I'll save you." I felt the air around us change as the teleport was instantaneous. She sunk to a knee beside me. I had to leave Monster Kid with her. Setting Grillby on a set of chairs in the lobby, I called out, "Dad! Grillby's hurt!"

I got Monster Kid to a chair to rest for now as Chara got up with Asriel's help of a root crutch he made. He clung onto her shoulder, "Easy, Chara… You caught that branch pretty hard." I followed his gaze to watch him wrap spare vines around her right leg as I saw it covering a bloody gash. Asriel waved me ahead, "I got her, trashb- Turn. Just take care of the kid and Grillby."

I could see gears spinning in her head as she passed me and went into the lab. Dad came in as he helped Grillby into the lab towards a tube he set up. He let Grillby inside it as he shut it quickly. The tube filled with heat and flames as Grillby began to heal. Dad turned to me and Monster Kid as I watched the Kid sit by the tube at a loss. Dad moved to kneel in front of him as he smiled, "He'll be okay. If you want to help him, I need you to come with me. I'm going to run a test and make sure you're okay." He led him inside an examination room.

I sat staring at Grillby who apparently passed out in the tube being healed. My mind was at a loss. Chara moved out from the kitchen with Asriel in tow. He had a ketchup bottle and an apple in his roots as she crutched over to me. She sat on the floor by me as Asriel held the ketchup bottle out to me, "Here ya go. Chara got it for you." Carefully taking it from him, I saw her take a bite of her apple as she looked at the ground, "I'm sorry, Turn."

That shocked me. Why was she apologizing? Stopping her immediately, "No. This isn't your fault. I have a feeling something was boiling beyond recognition in our worlds anyhow." I put a hand over her shoulders and pulled her in for a half hug, "We're helping fix it. That's all that matters."

"That's not it. I'm sorry, but I have to go. I have to save that girl. She's a genocider. I know I can reach her. And Sans… He changed, I saw it. I can save them bo- Ow!"

A hand levitated behind her head that had hit her across the back of her head. I chuckled as I knew that punishment well. Dad wasn't going to let this happen, although neither was I. He cleared his throat as the hand picked her up by her sweatshirt collar, "No. You won't." He was stern as he walked to the wall panel and pulled her through the air with him. He opened a panel that even I didn't know existed. He pulled out a scythe as it had a faint glow to its white blade, "Not without these." He pulled out red pills in a bottle as well. He set her down, giving her the scythe and the pills, "Take these. We're safe here. Thanks to Asriel's help, I grew flowers and made medicine out of these. They retain small amounts of the power you two hold from the souls. Give this to the wounded and they will heal."

She smiled a bit as she looked to me with hope, "We don't need pills. All we need is and I can reclaim the dust and heal them." She assumed I could save everyone with her but as I said, that confidence is infectious. With a look at Dad, she gave me a bit of a sad look, "There's a girl here… She's like Frisk. I don't wanna kill her, but…"

Dad put a hand on her shoulder, "I know when time comes, you will make the best decision." He looked to me, "Both of you are the perfect ones for this. Trust in each other. We will come aid you when Grillby is healed. For now, sever the link between the infected and Sans. Once broken apart, he will weaken. Turn can claim the dust from there. This could turn the tide of disaster."

For once, Dad was right about this. We had a chance. No, we have a chance. I pulled Chara into a hug with a smile, "You and me, kid. We got this. Dad, keep them safe here. We'll manage out there. Right, Chara?"

She smiled and hugged me back with a nod, "Right. We'll save them all. Just need each other out there. And Asriel." Asriel pouted from her shoulder as we all laughed a bit. Gaster pulled us in for a hug as he smiled, "You're both mine to worry about. Don't go worrying this old bag of bones." He released us as he looked to me, "Take care of each other and remember, you're not alone anymore."

That was the talk we needed. Dad held out a red pill to both of us, "The last and only of my supply. It can heal any injury and refill your magic. I'm trusting you both." He winked at Chara and I. We took the pills together, suddenly feeling reinvigorated. Chara's leg healed up along with the scratch on her cheek. I felt like anything could come at me and I'd be ready. The funny thing is that Chara took the scythe in hand, "We got this." He focused as we saw the room change to the throne room.

Lucky for us, we were behind a pillar as I heard Toriel pacing the flower bed. Her voice boomed with anger, "That ignoramus. He is keeping the child as a weapon instead of handing us her soul. While I understand, I dislike this a lot. The gateway could be open for us to conquer!..."

Chara gave me the scythe and then moved towards Toriel. I watched her carefully, well watched them both. Asriel was on her shoulder, giving Chara a worried glance. Chara spoke up to make her turn towards Toriel as Chara stood at the entrance to the throne room, "Mom, stop! Asriel and I know you're in there. This version of you isn't the real you."

In a rare occurrence, Asriel was crying. Chara stepped forward towards her, "Mom please! I'm almost me again. Let's be a family again because…" Chara got closer as Toriel stepped back. It seemed Toriel was fighting something inside her own mind as her flames missed them completely.

"We love you, mom," Chara got right up to her and hugged her as they finished together. Asriel hugged her with his roots while Toriel held a claw an inch from Chara's back. She was ready to kill, but something held her back.

Toriel's face twisted into a soft smile that I never knew the Queen had in her, "My children…" She began to cry as she hugged them instead. The dust fell off of her as Toriel just kept hugging her, "My child. I'm sorry. I tried to… All those years ago. I'm sorry. We got so jaded by the idea of repaying the human race that we… I'm sorry." Toriel hugged her as she cried.

I jumped out from the pillar towards the dust. Reaching out, it moved to my arms and surrounded me as I focused my magic around it. The soul of the other Toriel formed in front of me as she smiled, "Take care of my children." She vanished as I felt myself get stronger. I saw Toriel look at Chara with a similar soft smile, "I'm sorry…"

Chara took her hand with a hint of magic that set a rainbow sheen over Toriel's soul.

The Queen smiled at them and nodded, "You two have a long road. I might have some items for you. And you Turn. I'm sorry for persecuting you wrongly. None of this was your fault. And I'm sorry." She moved to the throne and moved the seat aside to reveal two lockets and a pie she split into two, "Keep these with you. As for the pie, it should replenish health and magic. Use it when you need it. I have to defend the castle."

Chara and Asriel put on the amulets as we each got a piece of pie. I smiled to the pair. When they nodded, I looked to them, "Let's keep the ball rolling, shall we go? We got no time to laze around. Asriel, stay here and use your abilities to protect the cleansed and see about the barrier. We might be able to get everyone out if need be." He moved toward Toriel and sat on her shoulder. I held the scythe out to Chara.

She took the scythe I offered with a small laugh and a small red haze to her face, "Sure. If only there were a white knight nearby?" She joked back at me as I feigned a wince, "But I think I see one starting to develop. Think you can keep up?"

I nodded as she took off down the hallway. Taking off after her, I remembered following Sans when I was ghost, but I'm not a ghost anymore. I can help her save them all. Pushing myself forward as I caught sight of a spear. I tackled Chara to the ground to get us out of the way We rolled on the concrete a bit towards the wall of the narrow hallway. She went to protest, but gave up when a spear sunk into the ground near us. Letting go, I summoned my dust in a shield as four spears clanged off the other side. Chara grinned, "Throw me in a ball of dust. They'll think you're trying to hit them."

With only half an idea of her plan, I moved the dust around her in a ball as I tossed it at Undyne who was up ahead. Undyne grinned as she dodged it, "Really, Turn?! That pathetic attack. Guess absorbing one soul didn't make you any stronger, did it?" She summoned a wall of spears aimed toward me as I closed my eyes with a shield pulling together around me.

None of them hit, and after a moment I knew why. I dropped the shield to look as Chara held the scythe blade through Undyne's stomach as she pulled it out. For once, I saw the crimson in her eyes and remembered her words. _Genocider_ … Undyne had a trick up her sleeve as she elbowed Chara back into a wall where she fell in a lump on the ground.

No Chara means I'm on my own. I summoned dual swords from dust, "Undyne, enough! I killed Alphys remember? What's a kid to kill versus Alphys' killer?" I had to give her time to recover from the hit. I let her charge at me with a flurry of speed. I felt myself pulled aside in a dodge out of the way of one of her spear strikes. With a quick dash of my own, I struck her armor on purpose in a trifecta of weak slashes, "Going easy on me, fish breath?"

"I'll kill you for what you did!" she spun around with a spear in hand as she tried to hit home. Once again, my dust was guiding my feet out of the way as I realized some monster was helping me. I tried to swing at her armor again but this time two gloved hands stopped me.I saw my brother… But it can't be him. He's alive… No, Sans' brother.

He shook his head no. He set me beside Chara instead. He turned around, "Undyne, you won't hurt them. Besides, we all know you can kill a human or a monster. But you can't be friends with them, can you? Nope. Nyehehehe. Not Undyne. Only the Great Papyrus could manage such a feat. That means that I can do something the great Undyne can't."

Undyne looked… peeved off. He was defeating Undyne with her own ego. He winked at me while her rage grew, "No matter. I guess I have a lesson to teach you then, Undyne. Impossible as it may seem." She attempted to hit him with spears but they bounced off of him instead, "Can't even manage a simple thing such as to befriend a human. I bet you couldn't even aid them in cleansing this evil doer from the underground. How far have you fallen?"

He was toying with her. I never even thought to say these things, but then again, I didn't know her like he did. She fumed as she summoned twenty spears that would have hit us too, "Quiet! He's a murderer. Alphys… She's…"

I felt a tug at my arm from Alphys, who was trying to help Papyrus. Her dust manifested by Papyrus, "I'm right here. We all are. Maybe when the human can control her powers, she can bring us back too. Just like she brought Turn back. But it would take someone like you to train her to do that. Please Undyne… She's our hope of coming back. Mettaton, Muffet and I are still here and waiting. Just trust us and help her. You're stronger than that dust. Than the hatred…"

Undyne actually paused as her spears vanished. I held Chara in my arms ready to take a hit for her if needed. Instead Undyne just sunk to her knees with tears flowing from her eyes, "I… I'm sorry…" She began to shed dust as I set Chara down on the ground gently. I jumped ahead of the pair as I grabbed the dust and focused. It fell around me and vanished like the last time. Unfortunately for me, I tripped on my face.

Before I could conjure dust to save me, Undyne grabbed my arm while she glowed without Chara's help, "No tripping on the job now. You have a kid to protect." She set me back on my feet, "You have all the help you need to protect her. Don't let any of us down. So help me, I will make you regret it if you die. Hear me, punk?" She had wiped the tears from her eyes and was trying to give me a pep talk, I think.

With a smile, I nodded to her when I saw Chara move a bit. I moved away from Undyne to hold out a hand, "Easy there. Big hit you took. Too bad. Those souls of yours won't let you get hurt, huh?" I nodded towards the glow around her that seemed to fade slowly. She took my hand to steady herself. With a smile to me, she sunk into my arms and almost passed out.

She was exhausted, but I couldn't figure out why. Then it hit me. With a cautious word, I spoke up carefully, "What you did back there… That look… Why'd you do it? I thought you were better than that…" I still held onto her, but I seriously needed to know. I wanted to know what she was thinking.

"Undyne never went down without a fight. My Undyne… All I have is her words to me from a long time ago which was to never give up the fight. I did it because I hurt the dust, not her. I'm sorry… I'm… Sor…ry…" she passed out slowly in my arms which only seemed to worry me about the task at hand. This was only two of the major connections. There was still the King, this timeline's Asriel, that kid and the monsters in between.

Undyne put a hand on the scythe on the ground, grinning, "Turn!" She made me almost drop Chara when she threw the scythe at me, "I have an idea. She could use a steady flow of magic to keep going, so use all of _our_ magic. If she cleansed us, then we all are here to help. We're a liability if we're physically in the fight but if our magic is helping her then it will all be okay." She focused, making the scythe glow blue.

Dad teleported behind us about ten feet as he smiled, "A fine idea, Undyne. I think in this way, we can all help them save the underground." Grillby stood behind him as the three filtered magic into the scythe. With a smile, I saw the scythe begin to glow as Chara woke up a bit. I smiled to her, "No sleeping on the job now, lazy bones."

She moved a bit, staring at the scythe that Undyne held out to her. Undyne grinned, "You can't give up the fight. Even I say that. Now save this place from the dust. After that and some rest, we have some training to do. That way you can revive some monsters and break the barrier. No more killing either. Just save everybody. Deal?"

Chara smiled as she hugged her tight, "Promise. Just take care of everyone. We'll send them back to the castle with my brother and Mom. Just protect them and I will do everything to keep that promise." Chara was somewhat herself again and that gave me hope for this whole quest of ours. I saw Undyne change a bit as she accepted the hug.

With a quick shove, Undyne grinned, "Get going. You got an underground to help out."

She nodded and took my hand and pulled me along in a rush. This was a good sign to see her positive. When she got far enough ahead, she saw the greyed stairs. If I was right, I saw her hesitate. Chara squeezed my hand with a blank stare at the staircase, "Asriel and I lived in the house above… That house is the home we had back before I… Before we…" She struggled to remember such events as she gave me a small look of fear, "He's not infected. He's consumed by the teaching's Toriel brought him up on. It's like Gaster said. He only knows taking my soul to break the barrier. He knows one reality…"

"Then let me go first. Stay behind me. I think I can reach him. We're not so different if you think about it. He was taught one reality just like me, except I learned a new one. Maybe I could teach him to learn about a new reality too," I spoke honestly from the heart as I squeezed her hand a bit, "I'm here for both of you. You helped me see that there's a chance here. Let me help him see that."

Chara gave me a bit of a nod after she gave one last look at the stairs. I took the lead after I let go of her hand with a small nod. I heard her footsteps behind me while I tried to listen for anyone around. The steps curved around into this lightly wood-floored entry with a darkened hallway with a couple of doors on my left and a living room to my right. I decided to bite the bullet and call out to him, "Asriel, let's talk. It's me, Turn. Chara is here too. Why don't you come out and talk?"

A few footsteps echoed slowly to my left when I saw him walking out toward me with a cut in the fur of his forearm. He was holding his left forearm with his right hand with a glare at me, "No talking! Things were fine until your brother and you messed it all up. It's your fault that she is here and that Gaster is back. It's your fault we don't have the souls we need to open the barrier. I don't wanna talk to you or her. Leave here before I decide to-"

"Decide to what? Kill us? You already lost one sister and then even more. Just hear us out-" I stopped halfway through as my barrier of dust pulled up around Chara and I to block two jump attacks from what looked like Greater Dog without his armor or face, but there was two of them. I pulled Chara close as I focused my abilities to hold the barrier around us. Chara pointed at the stairs we just came up which made me realize there was three more Greater Dogs there waiting.

A young girl's voice could be heard leaving one of the rooms down the hall, "You know how easy it was to figure out that none of you belong here? Very… see, Sansy told me everything. You're a foreigner clinging and using that bag of bones until you can get back Sans. Too bad, he isn't yours anymore. Neither is Asriel. He said he'd help me trap and kill you. How sweet of him…"

Asriel nodded as he looked at Chara with contempt, "She has my sister's spirit. The killer instinct. It's her, not you. You're just a weak fraud who couldn't even measure up to her. Goodbye human." He summoned two swords and charged at us.

Chara pulled me forward to run out of the front archway into the yard. She pulled me down the stairs while dog growls could be heard multiplying behind us. What was her plan? Running only got us so far. That was when I saw the hallways she darted down start toward the elevators. I spoke up concerned, "If we take the elevator, he will know where we are. We have to find another way."

"Working on it. Hold on to my hand, Turn," she called back as she glowed various colors until I saw the area instantly change towards a familiar hotel lobby as various dust covered monsters glared at us. She let go of my hand to slam her scythe down into the ground as the rainbow sheen covered the floor and began separating the dust from the froggits and residents of the underground. Extending a hand, I pulled the dust in towards me as a veritable ocean of dust swirled around the air above me in a rush. There was a pause while I stared at the cloud that only grew.

Chara spoke up with confidence, "Take the dust. I'm cleansing all of the Hot Lands in a burst. The dust flooding in is from all the monsters she called here to hunt us." Chara removed the scythe from the large hole she created in the floor while I brought in the dust from the cloud. There was a power to this, but something felt off. I was gaining power, though I was becoming more increasingly aware of what these monsters were feeling and why they were angry. Once they joined the dust I already had, it seemed that it calmed them. That's how he was doing it. Angering them over the deaths and genocide. It was how Sans, or whatever this dust thing was, manipulated them.

I spoke up to Chara with a nod, "This should be an interesting trek then. I think we have a chance at this now. But first we gotta lure in that Greater Dog multiplying thing. That dog is too powerful for her to have. Then we have to isolate Sans and help him. If we have the three of us, we can stop whatever is empowering the dust."

She nodded as I saw her gears already turning. Chara waved for me to follow as the monsters in the room were giving us 'thank yous' and 'be carefuls' galore as we passed. I saw her stop in the massive dining room with a grin, "One way in and one way out. Use your dust to stop her from getting near him and block the entryway. Besides, I think this might be a good place to test a theory of mine about these abilities. You hide and I'll wait for them."

Truly had to admit it. She was a genius of another sort. Now we take the fight to them in a more deceptive way. Something about this room bothered me, like I was seeing memories that weren't mine. I saw Papyrus, no Sans' Papyrus and Sans at a table, then Undyne and Alphys at a table. Sinking to a knee, I felt emotions ripping through me as tears fell from my eyes. I could feel their sadness and their memories bleeding together through me.

Chara knelt in front of me as she put a hand on my shoulder, "Turn… What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Her eyes were watching me expectantly as if she knew I had something to say. Without realizing it, my voice wasn't my own.

The dead Gaster spoke through me as I felt less in control, "He is losing control of the dust he has gathered. Too many voices, souls, and monsters fighting old memories. I will keep them at bay." Once he said that from my own mouth, I felt the population of monsters within my control was calming. Taking a moment to myself to breathe, I smiled to her, "Sorry. I'm okay. It's like I was seeing their memories and feeling their sadness. I have control again. Promise."

She nodded and helped me up, "They won't find us for a while. You should rest a bit." Almost pushing me to sit by one of the walls, I obliged willingly. Anything for her. Not so much for Sans anymore but because I wanted to do that for her. Help and listen to her no matter what. With a small nod, I watched her work tirelessly to move the tables and chairs as some of the monsters helped her. I felt like I was dozing off when the tables and chairs were beginning to be piled against the wall.

 _I stood among a field of yellow sunflowers with hundreds of other monsters. Some of the common citizens waved as I passed them. Further ahead, Undyne stood with Alphys, Papyrus, and Mettaton. They stopped discussing whatever it was they were talking about as they waved me over. Even Gaster stood beside Alphys with a smile towards me._

 _The sky here was a murky grey with a chill to the air. It was amazing that they were all here. I stopped between Papyrus and Undyne with a skeptical look, "_ What's going on here? And where is this place? _"_

 _Gaster decided to speak up first, "_ Think of this place like your subconscious. It is where all of us are. If you are here, then you are resting. This place is meant for us to communicate more efficiently with you. _"_

 _"_ We banded together to keep everyone calm, but they want to hear from you. Turn, you have to be a leader now. It is the only way to keep them all in check so that you remain yourself out there. Chara needs you to save the underground afterall, _" Papyrus put a hand on my left shoulder with his usual happy-go-lucky smile._

 _Shaking my head violently, I waved my hands no in front of me, "_ No way… I mean, yeah Chara has my support but I'm not leadership material… I'm just a supporting character. _"_

 _Mettaton walked over and grabbed me by the shoulders, "_ Chara needs you to help her lead. This is a two-person leadership, darling. You have to lead these monsters here to help her in the world out there. Time to play the role you were meant to play. _"_

 _I shook my head, but Undyne didn't give me the choice. She threw me into the air as I landed on a Blaster. Gaster smiled at me when I realized they weren't giving me a choice. With a small nod, I thought of what to say, "_ Exc…Excuse me. Everyone. _"_

 _When no one quieted, Undyne called out as loud as possible, "_ Oi! Shut it. Turn wants to speak. _"_

 _They all stopped in their tracks to look up at me. I heard whispers, but not what they were talking about. Probably me. Giving a small smile to them, I built up my courage, "_ Everyone… I know you all want to be free to act. It feels unfair to lock you in here for now but trust me. There will be a time when I need all of you to save the underground. For now, please work with Gaster, Undyne, Papyrus, Mettaton and Alphys. Support them. If you think you can help, talk to them. I want to help all of you and we will. But at the moment, you are all here and I need your support and your abilities. Chara does too. I know you have a memory of her killing you, but I know she is better than that. With all of us on the same page, we can take down this creature. _"_

 _The monsters all cheered as the Blaster was lowered. Once I was on the ground after the Blaster vanished, I watched them all mingle into groups about the plan and things that they could do. The sunflower field was abuzz with positive energy. Undyne pulled me away from everyone and smiled to me, "_ Nice job, Turn… For a moment, we need to talk for real though. It's about Chara… _"_

 _Simply nodding, I found myself confused at why Chara played into anything she might have to say to me. It was odd to believe that Undyne would have anything to say about her to me at all._

 _"_ I knew what you were feeling up there. That feeling of being there to help the person you like no matter what… _" Undyne started carefully with a watchful gaze on my stone solid face. I would not give into this right now, so I kept cool. Undyne continued, "_ What you did back there to protect her was risky. You have to start working as a team and using more of us. Now you know how to call us but be mindful, the others may not know it. I do know about how you feel. When this is all over, you should come ask me advice about dating. _"_

 _Sneakily looking aside, I kept my gaze at the void beyond the field, "_ I don't kn- Gah! Fine… But don't tell anyone. I just never met anyone like her. She may look human, but I know she's a good monster deep down. After this all is over, I'll summon you to ask some questions. _" She nodded as I actually felt tired for once, "_ I'm… going to crash. I'm exhausted… _"_

 _The sunflowers felt like a bed that only I could dream of. To truly sleep felt surreal. The exhaustion, my nerves, and everything. It all melted away into a vivid memory. For now, I could faintly hear Chara giving orders and the clatter of furniture. It was oddly comforting._

I felt like I was slowly waking into a whole different room. Chara was leaning against my shoulder, taking a nap of her own. It was nice to know that I had back up, but it was nicer to know that I had someone to talk to about her. Part of me had to be really happy Chara was too focused on the task ahead. The rest of me had to wonder: _Did she already know about how I felt? What would Sans do to me if he found out?_


	10. Chapter 9: Victory is the First Step

The idea of watching someone sleep should be the most boring thing in the world. Oddly enough, I could see it as refreshingly relaxing[JH1] . Chara slept soundly with her head on my shoulder. I summoned dust in front of me as Papyrus showed up sitting in front of me. I smiled to him, letting some silence pass for a minute or so. I finally spoke up, "Hey Pap… Papyrus… Sorry. I'm not your real brother. I guess I shouldn't call you that."

"No, it's fine. I don't mind at all. She must be tired if she hasn't woken up yet," he smiled a bit with an edge of concern. He motioned me to follow as he stood up. Helping me set her down carefully, I took my sweatshirt off to give to her as a blanket. She curled up easily as Pap and I let out a silent chuckle.

I followed him closely, part of my curiosity finally broke through, "What's up? Did I do something wrong? I'm confused…"

He turned around, forcing me to stop to notice his stern look, "San- Turn… Sorry. You need to know something. The reason the dust is angry is because of what she did. She hasn't told you yet by the look on your face…"

"Told me what, Pap? What am I not understanding here?" I said. _Dad said the dust was here to take over and kill her, but he never did truly say why_ _[JH2]_.

His gaze fell aside as if disappointed or sad, "At first, she made friends with us all. They both did. It was good at the time. I only learned later that she went back to the beginning somehow and started a different path. A genocide run as Sans had called it. She killed everyone even though a few of us didn't even fight her. I know I didn't… I'm only discovering now that a genocider is a killer of monsters from the others. As far as we're aware, when Sans came back using our father's machine, he stopped Chara from being a murderer…"

Listening to him, I only felt worse than before. I needed to change this topic. I couldn't hear this anymore. I turned his attention towards a very different line of thought, "You know what, I wanna know something only you would know. How do you feel about helping me take on Sans?"

"Y… You really mean it? I don't want to see either of you fight him. So yes… I would very much like to be the one who talks to him if that's okay. Now that I'm with you, he can't hurt me anymore or get to me. I'll take care of him. Leave it to me. You can take the others and save that child that needs your help," Pap smiled at me as if he had forgotten the tense topic before.

A voice cleared behind me, both of us finally noticing Chara standing awake with a look of regret on her face. Her eyes were a bit red with shaky hands, "I'm sorry. I never got to tell you, Papyrus. I'm so sorry. I never knew what I did would cause that all to happen. This mess is because I made her try to finish what she started and created something worse than any monster has seen before. She fought you on her own will and I fought to stop her internally. I wish I had the words to tell you how much I regret all of it."

Papyrus and I were stunned as we listened to this. Papyrus took the lead, kneeling to give her a gentle hug, "It is alright, Chara. You are here now and making a difference. I would not ask for anything else. Save my brother and everyone else. Then maybe we can all rest easy. For now, promise me you won't kill that human child. Please?"

I had to look aside, full well knowing her answer would not be to his liking. [JH3] Chara let out an elongated sigh that I was beginning to recognize as her 'lost cause' sigh. She spoke up with a faint hint of sadness, "I can't, Papyrus. Frisk is dead and gone because of what she did. She tried to act like nothing happened the second time around and now we're here. If I'm to stay here and be okay with it… I can't let another genocider live. As Undyne says, humans have to be hunted. I'm not human anymore and I'm beginning to see why she says that. They get curious and then monsters are targets. Until Mom and Dad say so, we are to stay away from them and kill them as the Royal Guard orders. It took me a while to understand that."

Moving beside Papyrus, I shook my head defiantly, "Papyrus is at least half right. We can try to reach her first. If that doesn't work, then… I'm sorry, Pap. Her way is the next best thing."

He seemed disappointed but nodded, "Alright. At least you're promising to try. Just don't give up on her. I never gave up on Frisk or you. It just feels wrong to-"

"Give up on a kid or your brother. You never did change Papyrus," a familiar voice cut Papyrus off as Sans stood at the entrance.

I don't think I've seen Chara that quick to summon a red knife and yellow pistol. Quickly putting a hand in front of her to stop her, I looked at Sans, "Why are you here? You're the reason all of this is happening…"

"Easy. I just wanna talk. No one wants to lose their cool. A friendly chat, no need for the icey reunion," he said looking at me and Papyrus.

Chara just seemed outraged, "No! We have nothing to say to you. You're destroying their home. We don't get that right. None of us did. Sans, stop-"

A bone came out of the floor and knocked her back several feet. In a flash, Papyrus raced to catch her. Without knowing if Chara was okay, I moved my attention back to Sans[JH4] , "Talk about what? That genocider will kill us all and you seem okay with that. Don't you care that your dad or your brother are mixed up in this? Don't you care about what this is doing to Chara? You are letting her down by sparking a genocider. She's barely been able to keep her cool because of you."

Sans seemed impressed and mockingly toying with me too, "And some say that the murderers heart grew three sizes that day, am I right pal? Never knew you had a heart for the kid, although I used to until I really saw what she did to the monsters down here. She changes when those eyes glow red and the right motivations are in play. Thing is that I just want to kill her. Let me kill her and the rest of you will be freed and let go to do as you please. We just want revenge. Pap, I know you know what I'm talking about. I had to watch her crush your skull… Believing in her is a doomed effort," He was pressing Papyrus to join him, which I already knew he'd say no.[JH5]

"No, I don't know what you mean Sans. We're brothers and we've known that the bad comes with the good. I knew about Dad but never said anything after he passed. Things don't have to be this way if you don't let it. Dad is here with me. Let's see him together and forget this mess. I know you're in there, Sans," Papyrus said quickly. He was reaching out for some part of him that probably no longer existed.

I put a hand lightly on his arm, "Pap… He's not worth it. He's too far gone." I used the other hand to direct my dust to bring Chara's scythe to my free hand, "He only knows _his truth_."

Sans actually turned to me with a grin, "What truth? That on the third time I met the kid she was beginning a genocide run that was only initiated because she forced Frisk to finish what she started. She wouldn't let her let go of what she did and created a demon. Now I have to write the last wrong. Frisk is dead, now I need to kill Chara and we'll be all squared up. We all leave in peace, every speck of us…"

There was a part of me that knew this wasn't a lie, but I couldn't sacrifice her, "Pap, go get Undyne… I'll protect her." After he placed her in my arms, he vanished, allowing me to use his dust to strengthen my shield, "You won't take her from anything. She is her own monster now and deserves this chance to live. It doesn't matter what you say, she is under my protection and every monster I rescue from you will help me prove that point."

Sans glared at me with a wave of anger exuding from him, "You'll regret that decisi- Wait… No. Let me handle this. I can kill him and her. Give me time. Just give me-"

I saw Sans' soul crack, one by one cracks formed. He was being destroyed without a care for who was doing it. I held a hand out, "Sans, take my hand. You'll be safe with us and we can stop that girl together. Quick before you lose whatever chance you have to live. Undyne, take her."

Once Undyne materialized and I put Chara in her arms, I dove for Sans to grab his soul. In seconds, I felt his fear and dread. Not only that, I felt the dust's emotions of fear reaching out. Something was destroying the hold, but I don't know what. His soul crushed in my hands as he gave me one last grin, "Got ya."

He took hold of my shoulder, finally I noticed the dust coming towards me. In a matter of seconds, I lost control out of fear, "No!" A blaster summoned on each side of me made from dust basically instantaneously blasting him away from me as a hole was blasted through the walls as well.

Sans stood up from the hole I blasted him through into the kitchen of the hotel, "I see… Check mate, look-alike."

I saw the dust on my shoulder, but it faded away into my own supply. With a small glance back, I saw Undyne had put herself in front of Chara as if to protect her. I turned my glance back to Sans as a purple aura wove its way around me, "Not check-mate. Chara taught me something. She may guard the monster's soul, but dust of the fallen is mine to guard. Those monsters don't know who the real traitor is to them. The thing you're all becoming will destroy you. It took me till now to realize I can fix this. Just need to undo the damage…" I moved to Chara with a small smile, noticing her eyes watching me carefully as they opened slowly, "I have to go fix this. Remember you can't go genocide or killer on me. Stay true to the monster you became, to your friends and family."

Undyne set her down on her feet, Chara staring at me. She hugged me close, a slight shake to her frame. I wrapped her up in a hug and sunk my head into her shoulder, "I need you to forgive me, but I have to leave. You see, you were right. I do have the power to fix this. Just needed a good reason to see that potential. Good thing I have you. Just do me one favor. Forgive me for what I'm about to do."

"Turn… What do you mean?" she pushed away with a careful gaze at me. In an unnoticeable second, I summoned a dust bone to hit her in the back of the head. When she began to collapse, I caught her and set her against one of the few standing walls of the dining hall.

"It's better this way. I have to try something, but it's potentially dangerous," I said with regret already filling my head, "Don't follow me." I walked towards the doorway until Undyne jumped in front of me.

She was almost red in the face like a fish out of water, "Turn! What are you doing? It takes you both to solve this. Not some solo act. She cares about you and you can't just leave her behind-"

"I can! I just did. Undyne, you told me to ask you about this stuff or discuss it with you. Here it is. This thing I wanna try could get her killed, hell it could get me killed. I just want save her," I struggled with the right and wrong of this situation until I continued conflicted, "I can't let her get hurt. I won't. After this last fight, I swear I will talk to her and you about this. Just please let me do this…"

Undyne shook her head, her dust vanished without a word. I shook off her words with an attempt to focus my mind. My mind raced while I felt several of the monsters whom I saw in my sleep walk behind me, "I got this guys. Trust me. It took me till then to realize what Chara and Dad meant. I know how to stop this."

Papyrus was the first to spark his complaints, "You can't go alone. You left Chara back there to do what? What plan could you possibly have to stop that type of beast? You felt it as we all did; the monster guiding this is an amalgamation of hatred from a spirit left here. It sounds like what my father explained to us while you were traveling. Chara was like that at one point. Whomever it is, they are the source. Sacrificing yourself won't-"

"Pap, enough… Please. I'm finishing this. She needs time to come to terms with herself and I, for one, won't see her hurt anymore. This is my way of protecting her. Those souls aren't under control yet or she should be able to heal easily," I said bluntly until Undyne spun me around and stopped me.

She slapped me hard which made me use a hand to steady my skull, "You idiot! She cares for you and you just left her alone back there. If she wasn't unstable before, she might be now. What you did might make this worse or not even work. Don't you s-"

"Stop! I know what's going on now. When I absorbed the dust on Sans, I felt it. This dust is coming from the world these monsters left behind because of the rip in space and time my brother made to revive me. It's my job to fix this. I know it sounds crazy, but I stop the dust's attack on everyone and undo my mistakes and his," I almost screamed out unintentionally, making Undyne freeze. I continued at a level tone, "With a bit of luck and faith in her, I can pause the coming disaster. The world they're from is collapsing. That could destabilize here. I do remember that much about the science mumbo jumbo my dad spit out."

Undyne didn't even fight me anymore when I noticed Papyrus vanished along with her and the others. They were accepting my plan, but not because I was giving them a choice. Upon traversing the dusty old hallways, I found myself at a familiar patch of yellow flowers. I looked up to where the hole in the roof was supposed to be, only to see a crack filled with a writhing mass of dust. This was it…

"Hey! Monstrous thing. You wanted me, here I am. Or are you too chicken to try to corrupt me too," I jested at it with a false grin. Underneath, I was scared I might not see my family or friends again, especially her. No, I thought, I was doing this for her. I held a hand up towards it, "Give me your best shot you pile of garbage."

It surged towards me when I realized the hoard now held that girl hostage too. I could save her too. With my willpower intact, I held on. The dust covered my soul, which built a new film over my vision as I saw the hundreds of souls trapped in this shape. They all had a red glare to them until finally I noticed the girl at the center. She was corrupting them with her determination and some wisp behind her. I moved towards them with a small smile, "Kid! Can you hear me? Let's talk. I just wanna hear what you have to say."

She didn't move until a moment later when she took strides toward me, offering a hand, "Call me Rose." After I shook her hand, she gripped tight, "But I'm not here to talk. This dust will use you now to fight for me. And the first victim is coming."

She showed me a glass-like image of Chara running into the ruins. Chara was panicking, I could just tell. I called out, "No! Leave!" I turned my gaze to Alice, "Let her go! I won't hurt her. And neither will they. I know how many monsters there were and how many are on my side. You have no pull here."

I know my voice faltered, which made Rose only grin wickedly, "Oh but I do. Your soul wants to protect her. These monsters will help you see how best to protect her. The easiest way to protect a monster is to make her a pile of dust. Then she'll be with you forever." The dust from behind her, red-eyed anger and all, swarmed me with a mission. I felt myself being ripped apart by the hundreds of desires that they all had. My soul felt like it was being torn apart.

I could hear Chara closing in through the slowly growing footsteps calling out, "Turn! Turn- Wow!" She must have seen the mass of dust, but it was hard to tell with all the voices flooding my head.

Some saying _Kill her and this will all be over_

 _She'll be yours forever._

 _No more obstacles._

 _The process is simple._

 _If she became dust, you would be able to keep her with you forever._

I don't know why, but this made sense to me. I changed my perspective and my position, the teleport brought me in front of her on the ground. The skeletal hand I held out to her slightly shaking, "Chara, I'm right here. Come on. I found Rose. Let's stop this together..."

She actually backed away from me, struggling for some reason, "Turn…" Eventually, she ran to me in a rushed hug. With a small jump, she was safely nestled in my arms.

 _Not safe enough._

 _Dust her now._

 _Make her stay with you forever._

In this hug, I had the advantage to hold her tight to me while she cried. When my hand summoned a dagger to do the deed, I felt myself struggle with the idea of killing her. The dagger shook in my hand until I plunged it in her back. She never let go of me even though I know the dagger was sunk deep into her back. Every fiber in my being wanted to stop this until the dust lost control of me, "No!"

Chara finally sunk in my arms like a lump. I dropped to the ground to keep a hold of her, "Chara! Wake up. I'm sorry… Please…" I shook her a little bit. Panic filled my being and soul. The weight of what I did was crushing me, but also filling me with rage.

Her soul was changing color almost constantly until it actually glowed. Her body fell to ash in my arms except for the soul that glowed in my hands. There was silence until Rose spoke out of the dust ball above, "Aw… Too bad. You were a good pawn while you lasted. I'll take you out with the remainder of her soul. Then this whole place is nex- Yikes!"

A spear launched past me and almost hit the dust ball. The problem was that Rose struck back with two knives in my chest, allowing the blow to hit my chest without even moving. My soul cracked upon the red blades entering my ribs. I saw the blood I coughed up but I only remember holding her dust. The pain I felt was losing her, not my injuries. The world spun around me except for Chara's remains. That was the only stable thing I had.

"Chara… I shouldn't have left you behind. But I'm trusting you now. Don't let this be the end of all of us. I know your powers are strong…" I had to pause to cough as more blood stained my clothing, continuing, "Help me stop this." I felt weaker than before like I was falling apart.

The cracks in my soul gave me a familiar feeling. I knew this well… Dying. The memory of being sick in bed while my soul was cracking slowly. Papyrus wasn't in the room at the time. That was when a light pulled me out of the unclear mess that was becoming vision. I recognized the rainbow of everchanging glows. The soul was healing me. With a clearer look, I realized the soul was attached to a stranger.

She stood about my height (5'8"-ish). She had a brilliant white long white hair down to her knees with pale skin. The grey jean shorts and similar grey hoodie held no design except for the soul in front of her hoodie. It glowed just like hers. Her eyes were the same frequent color change to it. At the moment, all colors glowed brightly with the green shield around us and the gun in her hand that changed colors as her eyes had. Her voice was kind, but somewhat rich with confidence as I had remembered Chara, "Let's end it then. Together."

I took her outstretched hand with a smile. She was still herself with a different look but still Chara. The power of the seven souls surged through me, making me realize she was sharing her abilities. With a look towards Rose who was trembling, I smiled, "You still have a chance here. Let us help you."

"We just want to close the hole between worlds. We can save you in the process too. Rose, come on. I was like you and now here I am better off. Please let us help you," she called out, her confidence still there but clearly she was distracted.

I looked to her with a squeeze to her hand. Turning my attention back to Rose, I watched her back in fear. She was scared or trying to come to terms with something. Either way, we had to stop her. I focused my abilities on the dust with the supercharge to give me the strength to absorb all of the dust. I had to keep so focused, I didn't get to look anywhere but on the dust. A clang resounded off our green shield that I couldn't focus on. After a few moments, I realized that Rose was trying carve her way in.

Chara held up her gun wielding left hand towards Rose, "You won't remember much of this, but go home…" When the bullet flew at Rose, she tried to run in vain. Rose vanished before our eyes, meanwhile the hole in the ceiling was widening. Chara grabbed my attention, "I need you to help me close that. It's getting harder to focus my magic the longer I let this power flow free."

She was struggling, that much I could see. With the dust absorbed, I had a stupidly crazy dumb idea that might work but might also backfire later. I moved in front of her to get her attention, "Send all the available magic you have into the crack in space and time along with my magic. It should overload and close it. Magic opened it, meaning it can close it. I'm right here, just focus on my voice. You got this, Chara."

With an over-confident nod, I noticed more and more magical power flowing around her gun, illuminating the room. She aimed the gun upwards, me still holding her free hand. I could feel the magic I had left draining away. When the shot went off, it didn't even make a sound. What came after nearly would have blown anyone's ear drums. A loud explosion rang through the air with an astonishing amount of force. I barely held us upright to watch the explosion vanish when the crack began to seal. With a smile, I could almost cheer if I didn't feel so winded. She fell slowly into my arms, "Chara! Easy there… You did it. It's closed. I knew you could do it." Watching her eyes wonder up, we saw the one thing most monsters wished to see out above the mountain; sunlight pouring in through the open hole above.

She smiled to me and then slowly closed her eyes. I used a lot of magic myself, but this time I was weaker than ever before. I accidentally dropped her in the flowers, falling in the same patch beside her. The air here was just warm and comfortable. It sure beat Snowdin… Or at least, that was the last thought before I must have passed out.

I remembered being slapped awake by my brother. He was frantically trying to call to me while I couldn't understand why I couldn't hear him. Frankly, I couldn't hear anything at that moment. Slowly, things became mumbles and then somewhat recognizable words. Papyrus shook me one last time after which I could finally hear the ringing that was blindsiding. Papyrus' voice finally came through, "Turn! Turn wake up. Are you okay?"

"Pap… You're voice is gonna break my skull at that level…" I lifted my left hand to rub my head. With some effort, I pushed off the ground to sit up to notice Chara was still out. I motioned towards her as a familiar duplicate of myself knelt there. Sans was bandaged, but not exactly healed. I spoke up slowly, "Sans… Are you… Well you?"

He never looked up as he nodded yes. With a shake of his head, he looked at her, "I'm here, but not for long. I think it's time I finally let go. She's safe. That's all I ever wanted." He smiled a bit to Chara, leaving a small item in her hand, "You promised me you'd protect her. I'm going to hold you to that, Turn. Don't let her down."

Papyrus shook his head, still knelt beside me, "You can still be healed. It's not the end. We can still do all of this without you passing away. Don't just give up."

"Papyrus has a point. We can wake her up and she can heal you. You don't have to leave anybody-" I tried to help Papyrus' point but he cut me off.

His tone was solemn, "We don't have the right to interfere in a world that isn't ours. I'm better off dead. There shouldn't be two of me here. Besides, I was only family to her. You're something else to her. She has a point, though I'll never tell her. I meddled in the order of things that were not to be meddled with. It's time that I let go… I'm so tired…" His bones were turning to dust slowly which made me finally notice the cracks in his soul. He was dying regardless.

I just nodded before Papyrus could get involved, "His soul is cracked. Sans, I can take the dust you leave behind. You're not leaving entirely, just stuck in this sort of limbo until you can come out…"

"That's fine. Keep your promise. It was good to meet you both. I'm sorry for what we did to your world," Sans said with a small smile before he faded away completely.

I reached out a hand as the dust drew towards me, vanishing just like every other time. With a small smile, "He's okay now. We should head back to town. The dust is no longer an issue, but that human was. Where did she go?"

"Don't know… There was no one here. We'll have to keep an eye out for her…" Papyrus gave a sad smile, "She deserves a home just like Chara did. For now, Chara can stay with us. I don't think Dad will mind losing his room until she can find a place to stay in town."

I chuckled out loud with a nod, "He always slept at his desk anyhow. You're right. If you carry her, I can walk for now. We should go home. For now, everything is over. We all deserve a good family meal at Grillby's. Dad too…"

Papyrus picked up Chara with a small smile, "So now we have a new friend and Dad is back. Things really are looking up. Once we find that human girl and the missing prince, things will be A-okay. I just know it."

He was right. For now, I wanted a break. Also, a bottle of ketchup and to give her an apology for stabbing her. Then my day is complete and over. As we arrived in Snowdin with a straight path for Grillby's, we saw Dad with Grillby, the king, Queen, the Asriel from Chara's world was being held by Toriel and everyone else. They were all back to normal. I was just stunned. Chara woke up in time to see the crowd as Papyrus let her stand on her own.

The King and Queen moved forward with a relaxed tone compared to all the monsters fearing me before this. Queen Toriel spoke up with an even tone, "Thank you. As of now, the skeleton family is officially apart of the Royal Guard and the Royal Science Team. You are welcome here again."

"Snowdin will also be re-populated as well as the ruins when Doctor Gaster approves it. Thank you, all of you. Once Undyne and the others have returned to us. We will give Papyrus a post as well as Chara once Undyne says she's trained and you as well, Turn," the King said with smile. The monsters around him cheered which made me feel at home for once.

Chara smiled to me and nudged me forward, "All him. Nobody deserves this more than him. He kept me going this whole journey."

All of the monsters shoved my brother and I inside to celebrate in Grillby's. Chara kept near for a while but somewhere in the middle I lost track of her. I moved through the place with a careful step as to not step on any tails or anything. Once I was outside, I saw her near the woods with something. Upon closer inspection, I saw Greater Dog[JH6] , but a multiples of him; at least four I think. They were sitting in front of her being healed. When I got closer, they stopped wagging their tails with a fearful look to them. I saw their eyes glimmer as Chara's did. They calmed down to a gentle glow of light blue. I cleared my throat as Chara jumped up fearfully. I just chuckled, "A caring heart to the end."

She blushed and looked aside, "She's gone for now, but they can't be homeless and constantly roaming. I used my powers to help calm them. Now they can use one aspect of the souls to help them control emotions. It seems to make them more patient and caring… I'm sorry I left without saying anything."

I walked up to her and patted her shoulder, "You're fine." I knelt down to hold out a hand to them. One came close slowly while the others followed suit. They sniffed my hand and then licked it until one gnawed on the bones on my hand. I laughed and pulled away, "Not the fingers. I need those. Try this." I summoned a bone for each of them as they gnawed happily. I stood up to look to the set of hounds until I shivered.

She moved over to me and took my hands in hers, "You ever hear why the skeleton stayed out of the cold?" She was blushing but still trying to make light of doing this.

"Tell me," I said with half appreciation at the joke and a side look of my own now. Her hands were warm, but even so this was odd.

"He was all bones," she said with a small laugh of her own. When I laughed, she looked to me, "I'm glad everything worked out. It's nice to know everything is okay now. No more fighting or anything. Everyone is friends… And Turn… Thank you for being there for me…"

I just watched her with a nod, "I'm glad you found a home. It's not where you came from, but home still, right? Hope you don't mind living with a few boneheads."

After we both chuckled, she gave a small coy smile, "At least I know for a fact one bonehead is a nice guy. A real white knight in the end." She stopped herself and turned to walk away, "I'm… going home now… Have fun at your party."

"Wait!..." before I could stop her, she was gone. Even Greater Dogs [JH7] left with her. I just stood in silence as the snow fell on me, "What did you mean by 'nice guy'?" I stood in the snow for a few minutes until I was pulled back into the party by Papyrus. I had fun, but my mind still wandered to what she said.


	11. Chapter 10: Fear and Hope

A month has passed since Chara started living with us. It's kinda cool to know she's nearby and safe. Chara let her hair remain long, but ultimately ended up putting it into a ponytail. Her eyes give away her emotions slightly, but I could always read her better than any color could. Things seemed normal. She was okay up until recently. There are mornings she comes home and acts as if she was only taking a walk. So I finally decide to figure this out for myself.

Today is just the newest edition of her treks into the ruins again. As always, she leaves the house before she thinks anyone is awake, but she is mistaken this time. I am casually waiting by the door with a small smile. She stops dead beside me with a small, yet noticeably concerned look, "Turn! What are you doing awake?"

"Shh! You might wake Pap or even the dog," I wave a hand to the couch where all four dogs sleep silently. With a quick move out the door, she follows without arguing further with me on the matter. I wait until we reach the tree line to spin on my heels, "What's bothering you? Why do you keep going to the ruins?"

I knew this look; lack of eye contact, silent, and guilt written on her face. This was my look before I was brought back to life. Something was eating her alive inside, that much I can read from her face. Although I didn't know what it was, I do know that whatever it is it's killing her inside just like my guilt killed me before. She looks exhausted with bags under her eyes, though she won't admit she isn't sleeping vocally.

Instead of just telling me, Chara shakes her head adamantly, "I… I'm looking for them. Asriel and Rose. I need to find them. They both just vanished after… Rose just vanished into thin air. Then Mom said that her Asriel just vanished. I need to know where they went and how this all happened. Don't worry, I'm fine." Chara shows the telltale signs of lying that I used to show.

Without heeding the voice in the back of my head, I decide to speak out of pure emotional instinct, "Damnit Chara, snap out of it!" Her gaze looks directly at me with an ounce of shock. I just didn't want to see her keep doing this to herself like I've done. Setting a hand on her shoulder, I speak up with more frustration than I intend to use, "They will be found in time or they will find their way back. For now, you should worry about sleeping and trying to master your powers. Don't let this guilt eat you alive like mine did before. Please, just think of yourself."

She freezes in place, hanging on my words. I just sigh and pull her into a hug, "Please, Chara. Go back home with me and sleep…" I stop myself halfway through that thought, "I mean just let me walk you home so you can get sleep in your room."

She seems to laugh a bit and nods, "Alright. Only because you said so, though." With a tug on my hand, she practically pulls me towards home. In that moment, she seems less freaked out.

The snow made me shiver once I realize I left without my sweatshirt. Chara pulls off her sweatshirt and holds it out, "A gesture I think you need. When did you start getting cold like this? Before in the last few… Nevermind. Just, I've never seen you cold."

Moving towards home, I hold her sweatshirt with my free hand and her hand with my right. She is really warm, though I think the souls have something to do with that. When I see the house in sight, I also see Dad waiting outside the door. He watches us return, allowing Chara to pass into the house.

"Go to sleep this time. Dog, make sure she sleeps this time. I gotta go out with Dad and talk today. Don't make me come back and check on you, Chara," I say, watching all four dogs wake up and follow her to her room. With a small sigh, I change from smile to grimace, "What happened? You don't come around unless you really need me. Something about me being necessary to Chara's training…" It isn't that I hate my Dad, only his methods of explanation and that weird memory; the one where I saw him in front of tubes with us in them.

Dad actually chose words I never thought I would hear, "We need to talk about why you're avoiding me… I know you have a good reason or otherwise some uniformed rumor possibly."

He teleports us to his lab where nothing even makes a sound. He was gunning at isolation, so I take the neutral statement, "I've been worrying about Chara is all. Nothing against you, Dad. She's just not been too great since everything and I'm the only one she seems to listen to."

"Follow me," he walks into the next room with a smile until I see his expression change to something akin to concern, "Is she not sleeping or is something else wrong?"

I shake my head, "Yeah… She's leaving at early hours of the morning and doesn't sleep much at all. I just sent her home to sleep. I'm really running out of ways to help besides looking for the pair myself. Asriel and Rose vanished and that bothers her. She thinks its her fault. Maybe if we found them, she could sleep at night and focus on her training."

"That is a big maybe. It might be time to tell Toriel or Asgore. A parent is usually the best person to help. By that I mean her actual mother. Through you, she has a unique connection to the people of her past. After you help her, come back here. I believe there is a larger issue we must talk about," he said waving me off, "For now, go help her. It is possible this could evolve into a bigger issue if she can't rest properly."

Nodding to him, I teleport carelessly thinking of the vague number values associated with the house and end up in Chara's room.

To my great relief, she is sound asleep with four dogs laying on her legs. I chuckle quietly and wave them off to the sides of the bed so that I could cover her up. With a small thought in my head, I just sigh in thought. I should talk to her more about this, but I won't push her more than she has pushed herself for right now. Pap is far too detached to understand. Maybe the other Sans… Is that even wise to do that here? She doesn't know he's in the limbo supply yet or that he chose death over being healed.

Deciding it is safer in the forest, I quickly and quietly leave the house to find a secluded place in the woods. I look around carefully, clearing the place around me. Without a second thought, I summon him in the snow in front of me with a purposeful look.

He looks around with a small chuckle, "Calling on me already? Its been a month or so… You okay, bud?"

"Not exactly…" I look to him, "Its Chara. She isn't sleeping and she's out looking for Asriel and Rose at early hours of the morning. I don't know how to help her outside of finding their bodies or where they ran off too."

Sans shakes his head and sets a hand on my shoulder, "You haven't checked in with all of us in a while… Gaster didn't say anything either, I assume."

"Say what? What am I missing?" I ask curious, "You all were doing okay last I checked…"

Sans leans against the nearby tree giving me a serious look, "We're disappearing. Slowly but surely. Based on when you got ahold of each soul, the soul vanishes from the oldest and up. Most of the monsters from the hotel are gone… Toriel and Undyne… Anyone before that is gone. There's only a few left outside of me and that is starting to dwindle too. The souls aren't meant to hold out this long. We're not humans."

I fall back into the snow, sitting there in a daze, "Oh man… What about Gaster? He had the seven souls from our world, I felt it. He should be around still. And-"

"Turn, you did good. I feel confident since she met you. And Gaster… He gave the souls to me. He told me to pass them on before I fade too. It's nice actually being able to rest. I've been fighting and protecting for so long, I forgot what it was like to sleep," he smiles to me, but for some reason it only seems half-assed.

I stare at the snow in thought, "Whose left? Chara can help them. She resurrected Alphys, Muffet and Mettaton without an issue. She could save the rest of you."

"You're looking at him, Turn. I'm it besides two tag alongs. We've been fading since the connection to our world closed off. It may have been collapsing, but it kept us alive. For now, I want you to meet someone you didn't know was here… Focus on your abilities and summon the rest of us," Sans says with a grim look.

Doing as he says, I focus with all my willpower and only manage to come up with two souls. One human and the other monster. Asriel and Rose form beside Sans. Rose looks calm as she smiles to me and Asriel seems to be the happy kid I remembered.

Rose smiles, "We've been here for a month now… She doesn't know, but her abilities did help cure us. Just never got to tell you that you absorbed my soul… Frankly I was too afraid too."

"Only thing is that we couldn't resist the damage… She can't know and we didn't want to tell you. Sans has been preparing for end just like us. Just tell my mom for me," Asriel speaks calmly and holds up a hand that won't form at all, "I've been fading for a while now. So has Rose. Sans is holding together for now so you have him."

Sans brings my attention back to him, "See… When you closed the connection, I figured out that they were there. The magic that closed the open gateway also killed them. They have days at best… At worst, a few hours. Me… we don't know how the souls affect my timeframe."

After a moment, I stand up to look at the three of them, "I'm sorry I didn't notice sooner. Sans, I will try to find a way to help you. I promise. Just let me talk to a few monsters about this." Before he could refute me, I let the dust settle back into the supply. I burst into running speeds to get back to the house. I pass a camera that I wave to on the way. Skidding to a halt at the door, I trip over the dogs into the house, "Ow…"

The dogs lick my skull as Chara moves up to me holding a hand out, "You know, Pap did say not to run into the house. At least that's the house rule that I remember."

I take her hand, letting her help me to my feet. I sit on the couch with a sigh, "Hey… Can we talk about something? I feel like you should know this information before anyone else."

She sits beside me with an inquisitive glance, "Okay."

"I found Asriel and Rose… They're in the dust supply… And One other thing about the souls. You see-" I start to explain.

She stops me in my tracks, "What's wrong? Are they okay?!"

"No… They're gone. All except Sans. Something happened. When we closed the doorway back, they lost some strength and started fading awhile ago. I haven't had a need to summon them so I never knew. Sans is fading too. I didn't know or else I would have-" I say with a mass of loss lumping up in my throat.

Standing, she shakes her head, "No. Mom, Dad… My friends. They can't be gone. We just… No!" Her aura was becoming unstable as I also see the end table coat in blue and crack under the pressure.

Instantly I reach out to her arm to grab ahold of it, "Chara, calm down. It's okay. Just breathe. I'm still here for you. Just calm down."

"No! You never checked on them or even… Neither did I. I knew it. And if Rose and Asriel are in the supply then I messed up. What have I done?" she spouts out in a bout of fear, slapping my hand away, "Don't!"

Wincing with a quick teleport into the kitchen, I realize she cut my hand with a clean cut. I look to see her staring at the blood-coated knife in her hand. She shakes with tears in her eyes, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. They're deaths, all of them. Now you're hurt. I'm sorry. I can't stay here. We should have never stayed in this world!" She bolts through the door and into the snow towards the river, leaving a red wave coming at me.

I try to run after her, but instead I am forced to summon a skull to protect me from another hit. It takes the hit, but so does the kitchen. It's completely destroyed. Without a second thought, I summon Sans beside me, "Well she ran… Come on. I need your help to catch up to her."

I run out the door, pointing at the snow. He summons a dust made blaster that we stand on. From up high, I look around to see her fleeing down the river towards the core, "Sans, there! Get me close, I got it from there. If I'm her white knight, I'm sure as hell not failing her."

He smiles and nods, "After this, you're on your own. The souls will fade too. Just don't let her give up." He moves us closer to the boat, allowing me ample time to jump to tackle Chara into the cold waters just inside the Waterfall District.

I stand up only to find her sweater in my hands. She waves to me with a tear in her eye, "I'm sorry." She vanishes in a puff of rainbow-hued teleportation magic. I stare at the boat continuing down the river without her.

Remembering how cold the river is, I teleport into Dad's lab shivering. He kneels beside me with his lab coat over me, "Turn, what happened? Why are you soaked to the bone?"

"Chara…" I barely stutter out, "She left… Lost control… We gotta help her… But I'm so cold…" I shiver again, but this time I hear my bones rattle. What did I think I was going to do? Catch her? She's more powerful than I am.

He helps me to my feet and moves me to the kitchen. He sets me in a chair, making his move to make hot chocolate for me. With a sigh, he gets hot water going in a small electrical stove top with a tea kettle, "What exactly is going on with her? She shouldn't be losing control. She has the seven souls at hand. Tell me what happened exactly."

So I did. Every detail and discrepancy. I tell him about how she reacted to my words and how she cut my hand. I even told him about Sans vanishing and the others too. He only kept making me hot water for my hot chocolate. When I finish, he sets the cup in front of me.

Dad sits in front of me with a solemn gaze. He shakes his head, "She actually said ' _we_ should never have stayed in this world.' That is troubling. If I'm to make an educated guess, she is planning something massive. Whatever her plan is from here, we need to find her. I'll have Asgore shoot out a text to Toriel and a select few. We need to be wise about this. If we spook her, she might vanish again."

I only nod with a lost look at my cut hand, "She didn't mean for this. I know it. She's just scared. You know she didn't mean this. But what she said, I'm worried she means to do something drastic. Look she told me a while back that I was… Well that she trusted me. I can't go back on that now. Patch me up and send me back out there."

With a hand on mine, he heals my cut with a shake of his head, "Telling you no would mean that I'm going back on my promise to you all so long ago. Fine. Go find her but be careful. Now you have only yourself. The souls aren't here to keep you alive."

"Thanks, Dad," I smile to him, "I think I can tag her down. Afterall, she's probably chilled to the bone without this." I held her sweater, "I'll find her. I know it. I have a secret weapon."

I teleport home to find the dogs in the house still sleeping on her bed and floor of her room. Whistling, I wake them all, "Alright, pups. We have to find Chara. I know you guys are my best shot at this. Let's go."

They hear Chara's name and instantly perk up. Seconds later, they are trotting out the door towards the ruins. Monsters weren't living in the ruins yet, but some dust did show here. Now I became worried. I move in a run with the hounds with the hopes of finding her safe. They sprint ahead of me, through Toriel's old home and into the halls to the Flower Patch.

The four dogs pounce something in the flowers, causing a small chuckle to result from the patch, "Where did you guys come from? Stop licking me! G-dogs, stop!" She pushes them away in time to see me slowly approaching.

She shakes her head and stands, "Get away from me. I'll teleport again and it will be out of here into a place you can't reach. This world is better off without me or my determination. Just leave."

The red waves form around her again, ebbed with some form of black that I've never seen before. No, not black. It was her soul. She was blacking out the colors of her soul. Tearing herself apart with only determination left.

With a small look at the hounds, I whistle, "Chara, you may be right. Timelines should stay in their own place. But you ended up here with me. Sans and you, especially you, gave me hope to keep going passed my guilt. I won't let you do this to yourself. I've been there and it sucks to be alone in that. But you aren't. If you're so bad, why did you save them?"

She looks to the hounds that stand around her in a circle with ever-changing pupil colors, "I… I couldn't let them fall. Not them too. But what does it matter? Mom, Dad… Asriel, Rose… They're dead from my faults and actions. And now their really dead. I didn't master my abilities in enough time to resurrect them. And if you get hurt again, what if I can't resurrect you?"

"Shut up! I'm not going anywhere. As for the others, I think they knew that copies would only complicate matters here. They all wanted you to live here and be happy and have your own life. No more Frisk and no more genocide. Sure, it didn't happen right away, and we hit a few bumps, but you made me what I am. I'm accepted and have friends because of you. Your friends brought back my Dad. Everything may have started bumpy, but everyone is finally happy and settling down here," I yell at her to attempt to snap her out of it.

When I see her tears falling endless and the red wave building, I continue with my speech, "I don't care if you destroy the whole damn world, at least I'll be here for you. You called me a White Knight. I'll be damned if I don't live up to that title. Now take my hand and let's go home. They may not be the people you knew, but they are your friends and mine. Let's go together. You aren't losing control, you're doubting yourself and I won't standby and let you do that. You hear me?"

She actually freezes in her tracks with a flat look at me and red cheeks. Second chances seem to ring in her mind until something in her changes. Her look turns cold, but her tears lead me to think she's sad instead, "No… I'm the last of my world. Last of the original screw ups in my world. Let me go. I know I don't want to, but I need to. And yeah, you are a white knight, just not the one I need. The one the underground needs. I'm-"

"Don't you dare say 'I'm sorry' because I will call your bluff. If you were sorry, you'd be staying. We all care for you… Well I never wanna see you cry tears like these again. You hear me Chara. I know your in there. If you hate yourself so much, then don't leave me behind because I can't be without you. It's taken me sometime to figure this out, but I won't leave you ever again," I let out without even a blush of embarrassment, "You mean too much to lose than the whole underground. And I won't live here without you. So make your choice. Either take me with you or come home. That's the choice."

She glows for several minutes in debate. I knew by now the red wave was cutting around me since I focused half my thoughts on my dust barrier to protect me. She looks to me finally after ten minutes with the glow only growing, "I wanna go home. But I can't… My magic surpassed my control before you got here. It's going to burst whether I want it to or not. Please leave. I won't hurt you." She looks down, shaking her head, "I won't…"

Moving towards her, I wave the dogs to go. They bolt out as I reach her. At this point, my shield is taking a beating from the violent waves of magic surging passed me. I have to wrap this up before those reach Snowdin. I hug her tightly despite the collapse of my protective shield. Cuts and slices shoot pain through my entire body, but I never let go. With some mental effort, I pull all my dust around the room and constrict it slowly around us. The damage is now confined to us in the bubble.

She heals the damage as we take it, but it doesn't it stop me from feeling it. Within minutes, I can feel the wave dying down. The damage finally overtakes her and over use of my magic takes me. The darkness swallows us both. I pass out, but I could feel her weight on my chest.

 _Sometime Later_

I wake up to see Chara asleep in the flowers with her head on my chest. Something about this room isn't the same. I don't know what it is right now. For the moment, I put my arm around Chara's shoulder to move her to rest in the flowers. With a moment of thought, I sit up to get a good look around. The open cavern and moonlight beginning to stream in tells me that its night time. I see the entrance and the patch of flowers, but there is something. A door against the west wall, opposite the entrance that wasn't there before.

Moving up to it, I go to tug on the handle lightly. It doesn't move. So, of course, I decide to knock instead, "Hello?... Anyone home?" I step back after a moment of silence with a shake of my head, "What am I? An idiot? This could be dangerous."

Without warning, the door thrusts open with a friendly face I recognize, Sans. He just grins with a chuckle, "Well I'll be damned. I thought we were all goners. Seems you really are her white knight, right bonehead?"

Staring in disbelief, I saw a familiar cave except the flowers were empty. I speak slowly, "What? How did that… Sans, what's going on?"

He points behind me to a slowly waking Chara, "Seems she used everything she had without knowing. Just like last time except someone was here to guide here that actually got through to her. But we did gain two new additions."

Rose leans against the wall with Asriel beside her, talking to her quietly. I just wave as she timidly waves back. Asriel waves too. With a glad smile, I run over to Chara to help her up, "Chara. Look. You didn't hurt anyone. You saved all of them and I think… Well you might have remade your world."

Her eyes open to reveal a silver pupil with red slices. She is using me for support and I no longer feel the power of the souls in her except for determination. Her voice is weak but there, "I was upset… My family was gone. Then I hurt you. But what h…" She finally sees Sans.

With a smile, I let her go to run to him. She practically falls in his arms from her weak state, "Sans! You're alive!" She is crying, I know.

Sans just pats her back and smiles, "Kid, I wouldn't die on you for the world. Promise. Someone else here might wanna see you first. Right, Dad?"

Gaster and Papyrus walk into the cave slowly with still curious looks around. Papyrus runs over and hugs both Sans and Chara in one. Gaster merely pats her head as he arrives.

I move closer to the group as they disperse into a circle, "So is everyone back? The entire underground? And what about the souls?"

Gaster thinks about it, "As far as I've seen, the entire underground is back. As for the souls, it seems that I have regained the seven souls I stole in the first place. What I want to understand is one thing only; her choice. Will you come home or what will you do?"

Sans clearly looks aside with Papyrus seeming sad. Chara thinks about it and moves to take my hand, "I'll still visit home and be here. We're connected now by this door. I may not have the souls, but you're my family. Turn… Well he's… Well he's my White Knight. That makes him important too. Besides, Sans, Papyrus, you both have some work cut out for you with those two. They need help figuring out what I did. That means you have to teach her to be a good person."

Papyrus seems to perk up as he pats Sans' back, "That means you always have to come visit. You chose Turn as your boyfriend and that's fine. But we're your family. Never forget that."

I feel my skull turning red when he calls me that. I just shake my head, "What?! I mean…"

Gaster laughs at me with a grin, "It's not untrue. Besides, I will be keeping an eye on you two as will some others. For now, we should check on everyone. But Chara where will you go?"

"Well I found a home here with some boneheads. I will visit you guys soon. They should know what happened. Don't worry. I'll be back, but for now you guys have two of your own to worry about. We'll be fine," she squeezes my hand with a smile, "Besides, if Turn found me, that means others are looking for me."

They turn to leave until Sans pulls me to the side, "Thanks, but don't think about breaking her heart."

"Let me guess, I'll have a bad time?" I crack a grin, making us both laugh.

Sans leaves with them. The door shuts behind us as we cross the threshold into my world again. The dogs run back in with Papyrus in tow and Undyne. Undyne calls out, "Hey! What do you think your doing?! We've been looking all over for you. Don't tell me you two have been messing with us?"

Papyrus almost glares at us with a sigh, "You were here?! Why did you run here? What happened to you two? You look like you were hit by a tornado."

I finally look to my clothing. There were slices and scuff marks. Chara's gray clothing was scuffed too with dust littering her hair as she looks like a mess. We both do. We look at each other and bust up laughing.

After our laughing fit, I just smile, "I found her here. That's all. I'll go tell Dad I found her. For now, can we just go get some food?"

"Grillby's sounds great… I need some good food after all this. Then maybe some new clothes," Chara says with a chuckle, "I'm starving."

The pair stare at us before they just drop their jaws, "Food?!"

Papyrus just pats Undyne's shoulder as she still stands baffled, "Well, they have a point. Let's go eat. I'm thinking spaghetti at home. What do you think, Undyne?"

Undyne perks up, "Deal! Let's make the best food we can. Together!"

They both charge off together as we watch. Chara smiles, "This is a good home. I'm glad I got meet such a bonehead to show me a great home like this."

I smile as we head home to make sure they don't burn the house down. Dinner is ahead and then so is our lives… I wonder if Pap knows the kitchen is destroyed?


End file.
